


Glory and Gore

by Toomanyfandoms99



Series: Star Wars Oneshots [8]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alderaan, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff, Arguing, Battle, Character Death, Coma, Corellia, Coruscant, Crash Landing, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Domestic Fluff, Drama, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Fights, First Kiss, First Meetings, First Time, Flashbacks, Flirting, Force Bond (Star Wars), Found Family, Friendship, Hallucinations, Happy Ending, Hoth, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Kaiju, Lightsabers, Loth-Cat, Lothal, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Mandalore, Memories, Minor Injuries, Naboo - Freeform, Nightmares, Nuclear Weapons, OC, Recovery, References to Depression, Rescue, Reunions, Revelations, Sparring, Tatooine, Tension, The Breach - Freeform, The Drift (Pacific Rim), Time Skips, Vacation, Yavin, dream - Freeform, jaeger - Freeform, radiation poisoning, test, unnecessary drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:15:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26064850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toomanyfandoms99/pseuds/Toomanyfandoms99
Summary: The danger is palpable.  Ezra imagines the melting ice trickling down somewhere important and sparking up their systems.Training didn’t teach Ezra about this part.  The part that had his hands clamming up underneath his cloth gloves, his heart racing beneath the armor, his forehead sweating from where the helmet was tight against his skull.  His legs moved on autopilot, the Jaeger’s right side complying with Ezra’s command.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Ezra Bridger/Luke Skywalker, Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla, Ketsu Onyo/Sabine Wren, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: Star Wars Oneshots [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2024978
Comments: 82
Kudos: 54





	1. AND THE CRY GOES OUT

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter titles are lyrics from the song “Glory and Gore” by Lorde.
> 
> No one asked for Star Wars characters in Pacific Rim, but the similarities were too good to pass up. I restricted the story somewhat, however, by telling it entirely from the main character’s perspective. As a result, there will be added scenes, original dialogue, and canon divergence.
> 
> This fic will update on Sundays.
> 
> This is my first time writing a crossover, so please let me know what you think.

[YAVIN - KAIJU YEAR 10]

One hundred days, ten hours, seven minutes, and fifty seconds. Fifty-one. Fifty-two. Fifty-three.

That’s how long Yavin has gone without a Kaiju attack. A long time. One of the longest stretches in which the Jaeger program has gone unoccupied and twiddling their thumbs, watching their funding swirl around a drain. But everyone was glad for the reprieve.

Except for Ezra Bridger. He was waiting. Waiting for the next attack. Ready. Plopped in the middle of the Jaeger hangar, crisscrossed on the dirty rusted floor plates, head tipped up in anticipation for the war clock to flip to a black square at every digital neon number, leaving the rectangular metal darkened so that he would finally be called into active duty. 

Then, they would have to let him copilot a Jaeger. He’s trained for years, and nothing to show for it yet!

He would get justice for his parents one day, the parents who were trapped under a building as a Kaiju crushed them, leaving him alone until a good man offered him a Jaeger-sized hand amongst the chaos.

That very man sweeps to the center of the Jaeger hangar, his hand dropping on Ezra’s shoulder. His blue eyes pierce concernedly down at Ezra’s face, fixating on the war clock so intensely that the golden digits burn into Ezra’s corneas.

“You’re not going to will them into existence, Ezra,” Kanan says tiredly.

Ezra purses his lips and looks up at his mentor. His undercut ponytail and clothing blend into shadows and fiery hangar lights.

“Get some rest,” Kanan orders warily, “you never know when they’re going to come.”

Kanan’s eyes flicker away as if remembering something, but Ezra is used to his moodiness. Kanan’s hand slips away from Ezra’s shoulder, and he crosses the hangar. He blends into the shadow of the Prowling Ghost’s resting place. The pilots of that Jaeger tended to sleep nearby, a habit Ezra never quite understood, but he shrugs it off. Kanan is in love with the head pilot, and since Ezra cannot relate, he does not question his mentor’s behavior.

Ezra turns back to the war clock. He squints at the seconds.

They aren’t moving.

Sweeping thick black hair away from his eyes, Ezra rises slowly to his feet. He is small against the implications, small in his surroundings, so very small.

The war clock freezes entirely now. Minutes and hours and days unmoving with the seconds. Ezra loses his breath.

One by one, the sections of the clock turn black. Slowly. Number by number. Darkness into more darkness, the golden light fading into obscurity.

“Kanan,” Ezra breathes quietly, the name resounding through their Force bond.

It ripples through the dirty air particles and hits Kanan like thunderous sonar. Ezra’s name is repeated back through Kanan’s questioning tone.

Kanan breaks away from the shadow of the Prowling Ghost’s tank-sized mechanical boot. He meets Ezra’s shocked eyes and opens his mouth.

Kanan’s voice is drowned out by the siren, screaming and burning the entire hangar in its wildfire. 

Ezra’s heart quickens. This is it. This is the moment he’s been waiting for ever since he joined the Jaeger program. He may be a young recruit, but he can do this. He has the skills. He has grit. He has Kanan.

Kanan’s hardened expression grows closer as he moves. Kanan meets Ezra in the middle of the hangar. He says nothing.

The hangar comes to life around them. There are jumpsuits and shouts and hurried footsteps setting the entire area on edge. 

The war clock may be blank, but everything else was alive and intense and chaotic.

Hera enters the scene, garnering Kanan’s immediate attention. “Mon’s on her way to choose.”

Kanan frowns at Ezra, then says to Hera, “he’s not ready.”

“What!” Ezra clenches his jaw, heat permeating his voice. “Not ready! Who are you to say that?!”

Kanan and Hera share a long look. Ezra sighs in frustration and turns his cheek.

“Whatever,” he mutters, “not like you trained me or anything.”

The hangar doors below the war clock usher in Mon Mothma, the leader of the Jaeger program. 

While having never spoken directly with the aging auburn-haired woman, Ezra respects her importance. Mon was a Jaeger veteran herself, having piloted the defunct Righteous Deliverance alongside Ahsoka Tano, who also lingered around Yavin. 

The only other Jaeger veterans were Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who piloted the retired Jaeger Aggressive Negotiations. They died right before Ezra entered the Jaeger program. While Kenobi was apparently a loner type, Skywalker had a wife and twins. The wife, Padmé Amidala, used her political experience to get funding for the Jaeger program. There hasn’t been word on the twins, however, in years.

Mon locks eyes with Kanan and Hera. Ezra registers Sabine and Zeb toeing the shadow line. Zeb’s boyfriend Kallus dares to approach Mon and cross his arms.

“So?” Kallus prompts the woman in accusation. “Are you sacrificing Zeb tonight?”

Mon’s eyes pierce into the blonde man’s shadowy expression. “No,” she replies curtly, “the Prowling Ghost will not be deployed. The Kaiju is weak.”

At that, Mon fixated on Kanan and Ezra.

Ezra’s heart skips in anticipation.

“Rising Phoenix,” Mon addresses, “it’s your time.”

“No,” Kanan growls instantly, Ezra snapping his head towards his mentor, “I won’t let you put him-”

“I can do it,” Ezra says eagerly.

Mon’s brow arches as she looks down at him. Rather than shrink in front of authority, Ezra steels his gaze to meet hers.

Mon hums. “I believe him.”

“No,” Kanan says forcefully, Mon observing him with hesitation, “he’s sixteen years old, Mon Mothma. Sixteen years old. No one that young has ever-”

It is Ezra’s first thought to let out a burst of his temper. To declare in his hotheadedness that no, he is not too young.

But he curbs the impulse. He is in front of the leader of the Jaeger program and he has to make the right impression.

“Kanan,” Ezra says measuredly, “I’m ready if you are.”

Kallus observes Ezra as if he is a little kid, Hera sympathetic and Kanan contemplative.

After worrying his lip, the moment unbroken, Kanan mutters, “alright,” he sighs at Mon, “we’ll go.”

“Suit up,” Mon says, “the Kaiju will break the surface soon.”

The woman leaves with a brisk pace. Ezra’s heart soars.

He gets to go on his first mission!

Kallus arches a brow at Zeb and Sabine, then trails after Mon. The crowds gather around the Rising Phoenix.

Kanan meets Hera’s gaze, the two having a silent conversation. Ezra wants to groan.

Hera’s delicate hand moves to scrape Kanan’s beard from ear to chin. Kanan tips his head down, closing his eyes as Hera leans up. 

Ezra rolls his eyes as Hera kisses Kanan briefly. 

Hera returns to her shorter height and murmurs, “I love you.”

Kanan bats his eyes at her. “I love you too.”

Hera’s hand leaves Kanan’s face, and she fades into shadow amongst the noise. Kanan’s expression is grave as he looks at Ezra.

“Gear on, Bridger,” Kanan orders.

Ezra conceals his smile. “Yes, sir.”

~

[HOTH ISLAND]

The Jaeger was cold. Even though it goes against everything Ezra felt in training, he knew that the Jaeger was cold. 

If he were not wearing the pearly armor, sweating between a thin clothing layer and the control suit, he would be freezing. A reflection of the snowstorm brewing into the circuits and gears of the Rising Phoenix.

The danger is palpable. Ezra imagines the melting ice trickling down somewhere important and sparking up their systems.

Training didn’t teach Ezra about this part. The part that had his hands clamming up underneath his cloth gloves, his heart racing beneath the armor, his forehead sweating from where the helmet was tight against his skull. His legs moved on autopilot, the Jaeger’s right side complying with Ezra’s command.

Kanan matches him with every step. The golden tint to his helmet shield made it difficult to connect with the man’s expression, but their minds operated on the same wavelength.

A wavelength rippling in anticipation, but the same wavelength nonetheless.

“The Kaiju is category two,” Mon says through their static earpiece, communication obscured due to the snowy fog, “last seen twenty kilometers north, spearing the island in half.”

Ezra refrains from audibly gulping.

“A spearhead,” Kanan mutters, “great.”

The Jaeger’s boots clodding roughly against the unstable island is a companion to Ezra. He focuses on being the right to Kanan’s left side for a moment, breathing through his anxiety.

“Alright, Ezra,” Kanan says evenly, “systems check.”

Ezra blinks to gather his thoughts. Kanan’s wavelength simmers calmly beside Ezra’s own, too calmly.

Ezra focuses on the holographic charts in front of his helmet. He raises his glove to tap the holos and reads through the data briefly.

“Good on the right, sir,” Ezra reports.

Something must worry Kanan, because his helmet tilts towards Ezra. “You’ve been quiet,” he observes.

Ezra is careful in his measured reply; he can’t let Kanan know that he is afraid. “I’m concentrating, sir.”

“Hm,” Kanan swivels his helmet and touches his own holo controls. He sees something, then pauses for a beat.

A spike reaches Kanan’s wavelength, but it is smoothed over before Ezra can open his mouth to inquire.

“Arm up,” Kanan says, “charge the reactor glove.”

“Kanan?” Ezra furrows his brows as Kanan halts the Jaeger. Ezra quickly rights his side so the Rising Phoenix stands like a statue amongst the snowstorm.

He was told never to use the reactor glove.

Unless-

“Do it,” Kanan clips.

Ezra’s heart stops as he powers on the reactor glove. The energy meter flashes to life. His heart stutters on an exhaled, “done.”

Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong with Kanan.

“Raise it,” Kanan says, “it’s coming.”

Ezra grits his teeth and grips the reactor glove controls. He cracks his knuckles with the force of his grip. He looks outside the Jaeger’s viewport, but there is only a flurry of snow.

He raises up his arm, the reactor glove on the Rising Phoenix glowing an eerie blue. 

A spear slices the ground out from underneath them. The entire Jaeger screams at the assault, emergency systems flashing red. Their legs are swept away, a spear atop the Kaiju’s head obscuring their viewport.

Ezra almost swallows his own tongue at the force of the jolt blowing him back. His teeth scrape at his taste buds. There is copper as he catches himself.

He is dazed as he stands in his suit. The cables hooking them to the control system force them back up. Ezra breathes through the jerky movements lighting up his strained muscles and head.

Speaking of his head…

Ezra turns to the side. Kanan has already recovered, his body poised in a defensive position. When Ezra focuses on Kanan’s helmet, he cannot feel him.

Their minds are disconnected.

“Kanan,” Ezra’s voice projects through the helmet and into the Jaeger communication feed, “link up.”

Kanan raises his Jaeger arm. His prototype Jaeger blade was powered up, the metal chains fusing together to energize. His face does not leave the holo controls.

“Ezra,” Kanan says, the Rising Phoenix’s blade arching up as the Kaiju emerges in their viewport, “tell Hera that she was my everything.”

Kanan plunges the Jaeger’s sword into the Kaiju’s exposed throat. Phosphorescent blood spurts out of the spearhead’s neck as it roars up to the blizzard sky.

But the Kaiju does not go down. It shudders and shakes, but its arm comes up and to the left.

A battering ram slams Kanan’s side of the Jaeger. Claws crush through the layers of steel as easily as poking a pencil through paper.

Sparks fly down, dusting across Kanan’s control suit. In slow motion, a single spark lands in the junction between Kanan’s shoulder and arm plates.

The claws tear outwards, exposing Kanan’s entire side of the control hub. Ezra exhales shallowly, eyes bugging out of his head as Kanan realizes what is happening.

Kanan observes the punched hole. Snow trickles inside the Rising Phoenix, melting on the screens and wetting the grated floor. The Kaiju takes the Jaeger arm as its prize, chomping on the metal like a chew toy before tossing it into the blizzard.

A snowflake causes Kanan’s opposite arm to spark. His helmet regards Ezra, his expression concealed by the yellow tint.

The Kaiju’s eye, a dizzying expanse of saltwater blue and seaweed green, appears behind Kanan’s form. Ezra’s heart stops.

Kanan nods once, then turns.

The Kaiju’s hand, as the spearhead falls, comes to wrap itself around Kanan’s body. It squeezes him, popping the armor plates, as Kanan is torn away from the Jaeger.

A flurry of snow blocks the Jaeger’s passage, sparking up the space where Kanan stood. The Kaiju roars, the interior of the Rising Phoenix vibrating with the force of the sound frequencies.

And Ezra breathes for the first time in a full minute, choking on the recycled air within his helmet. He is frozen, transfixed on the hole and the Kaiju struggling on the ice floor and the snow blanketing the Jaeger hub.

Ezra blinks. In the flip of a switch, he is back to full awareness.

His disbelief turns into anger. Slow, sure, and unrelenting. A burning liquid pouring from a mold and straight into his mouth, infecting his throat and spreading down to his stomach until it forms magma that urges him onward.

Gritting his teeth, Ezra grabs hold of the reactor glove controls. He ignores the warning flashes blaring throughout the Jaeger’s interior and successfully tilts the Rising Phoenix towards the grounded Kaiju. Ezra’s mind screams for him to stop, but he does not care. 

He does not care about anything except revenge.

The reactor glove is a reassuring hum that trickles in from the Jaeger hole. The metal arm reaches over and points down. 

The reactor glows blue, blue like Kanan’s eyes, blue like Kaiju blood, blue like the training mats where they sparred and laughed.

Ezra stares down at the Kaiju, choking on its own blood, and pulls the trigger. The reactor blast slices the Kaiju in half.

Ezra takes pleasure in watching the spearhead exhaling its final breath.

The mental strain of handling the Jaeger sprouts strands of pain in his receptors. They creep into every section of his brain. Ezra clenches his jaw so hard he breaks teeth.

As he fumbles for the helmet clasps, pain overtakes him. He does not remember falling to his knees.

He just remembers relief coming to him in the form of darkness as he collapses.

~

[YAVIN]

Ezra’s mouth tastes of styrofoam. The room smells of chemicals. Footsteps nearby are as loud as megaphones.

He is greeted with a leaky ceiling, a papery bed, and gleaming medical supplies. The IV connected to his wrist is cold and stale.

But none of that matters now. None of it. 

Ezra would give his arm if it meant Kanan could be here instead of him. Kanan could be the one in this bed. He would be weak, but he would recover. He would be alive. He would be able to smile at Hera and-

Hera.

Oh, Hera.

Ezra swallows thickly to refrain from crying. It is imperative that he get out of here. Right now. Get out of here right-

Mon Mothma enters the poorly-stocked room functioning as a medbay. She is tired and her white dress does not hold its usual shine. Her face is stony and neutral.

She stands at the foot of Ezra’s bed and regards him carefully. Her eyes are Kanan blue.

“Bridger,” Mon says by way of greeting.

“Tell Hera that she was everything to Kanan,” Ezra says roughly. “With that being said…”

Ezra voices the only words that matter:

“I quit.”


	2. THERE’S A HUMMING IN THE RESTLESS SUMMER AIR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Bridger,” the tattooed man growls, “you have a visitor.”
> 
> Ezra tilts his head to the right, where his usual supplies are stocked by his section of the wall. Maul stands with an unpleasant expression beside a stoic older woman in white.
> 
> Ezra arches a brow as he approaches, Maul grumbling away as Mon’s figure becomes luminescent.
> 
> “Well,” Ezra clips, “I’ll be damned.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the shortest chapter of the bunch before the plot kicks up.
> 
> Tumblr: @toomanyfandoms99-ao3

[CORUSCANT CITY - KAIJU YEAR 15]

Ezra is glad to rest his muscles after his shift building the Anti-Kaiju Wall was over. The heat got to him today, slow-cooking his brain and browning his copper skin. Sweat percolates around his white undershirt, scuffed jeans, and work boots. He tucks a stray hair behind his ear from where it fell out of his bun earlier.

He drops down from the ladder and shakes out the dirt from his clothes. He leans down to pick up his thermos. He unscrews the cap and swigs the rest of his water.

His boss, Maul, nods from afar. Ezra clears his throat and takes his cue to leave, holding the empty thermos.

Ezra ducks under an awning as he strides across the unsafe industrial area. He squeezes in the alleyway between two skyscrapers, the sunset bleeding orange across fading blue.

A passerby slides past him, eyes blown wide at the presence of Ezra’s scars. Ezra is used to it, so he pays the man no mind.

There’s plenty that Ezra doesn’t remember from that day on Hoth Island. Getting dual cheekbone scars displayed prominently on his face was one of the many things Ezra would rather not think about.

A lot has changed in five years. The Jaeger program was on its last leg, most of the metal monsters having been destroyed completely or desperately needing repair, all because Padmé Amidala had to die in the Alderaan City massacre. 

The Jaeger program’s saving grace, snuffed out by a venomous Kaiju. An entire city leveled by a category five behemoth.

That’s when mysterious new Jaeger pilots cropped up. 

Ezra was quick to assume that the only pilots he knows that are still in the program are the Prowling Ghost crew: Hera, Sabine, and Zeb. 

He counted two more Jaegers in operation, one of which being the rebranded veteran Aggressive Negotiations. 

The final Jaeger was shiny and new. The holo outlets called it Dazzling Fury. 

Ezra has no idea who pilots these Jaegers, but they prove to be impressive counterparts. They were deployed after the Alderaan City massacre while the Anti-Kaiju Wall was being drafted. Since defense was imperative in the interim of the wall’s construction, the three remaining Jaegers have done well at beating back the Kaiju.

Ezra reaches the apartment sector for builders. He pads over to his unit and uses his employee card to unlock the door. 

After a slide-and-click, Ezra is inside his three-room household. He flicks on the kitchen light, setting the thermos and key card on the counter. 

As he washes his hands thoroughly, a purr resounds from the refrigerator. A bengal-striped tail swishes into his sights. Ezra snorts.

“Katja,” Ezra sounds out, shutting off the sink and toweling off his hands, “what did I say about sleeping on top of the fridge?”

A half-meow precedes the Loth-cat’s landing beside the sink. Katja stares up at Ezra with saucer eyes and twitching ears.

Ezra rolls his eyes. “You’re lucky I found you, huh?”

Katja emits a “mrow.” She plops on the counter expectantly, tail nudging the handle of the refrigerator.

Ezra sighs, understanding the prompt. “Alright.”

He opens the fridge, plucking out a tin of Katja’s food. Katja hops over to the adjacent counter to watch Ezra open the tin. She does not interrupt as Ezra plates the meal and sets it in front of her. 

While Katja eats on the counter, Ezra heats up a packaged meal. It does not look appetizing, but Ezra isn’t in the mood for cooking anything of substance.

After eating and showering, Ezra sits with Katja on the couch. He turns on the holo screen, cuddling up in his pajamas.

The reporter’s voice assaults him: “Breaking news: a category four Kaiju has been spotted approaching Lothal City!”

Ezra bristles, Katja emitting a disgusted “mrow” as a result.

Ezra leans forward, eyes glued to the screen. 

“This is the first time a Kaiju has attacked the same city twice,” a panicked reporter explains. The image of reptilian scales parting the sea is shown as the voice continues, “Lothal City has been ordered to brace for impact and hide in basement levels of the nearest building. The streets are clearing out for a shelter-in-place.”

Ezra sinks into the couch in disbelief. Helicopters show an aerial view of the city, still torn asunder from the last Kaiju attack fifteen years ago. Ezra glimpses the half-rebuilt skyscraper that crushed his parents’ bodies amongst the chaos.

His kin scatter in the filthy streets, and he wishes he could be there to guide them.

“Aggressive Negotiations is deployed and will intercept the Kaiju,” a female reporter says, calmer than the man. “These two pilots have been collecting accomplishments for the past three years. Cities can now rest easy because of-”

Ezra drowns out the reporter listing statistics. He never understood Jaeger gamblers, but he can imagine them shouting out sickening bets as to who will win the fight, what will be damaged, what will be left when the dust clears.

Katja nudges Ezra’s hand, her striped head tucking between the cushion and his uncurled fingers. Ezra slackens his grip and breathes, brushing Katja’s fur as she gets comfortable.

Ezra regards the holo screen. Aggressive Negotiations treads the ocean, arriving at the Lothal City Anti-Kaiju Wall. The Jaeger remains a reinforced monstrosity, compacted with layers of metal shields thickening the body that could both catch a jet mid-stream and crush a Kaiju’s skull in seconds. 

The faceless spectre, impersonal save for a single slit down the middle for the pilot viewport, arms its fists with an electric shock. The gloves snake with sparks around the fingers, dancing around the conductive titanium.

The Jaeger program made sure that no one else would die from electrical shock. It comes too little too late for Ezra.

The reptilian Kaiju rises from the ocean. It is covered in scales, each one a knife popping a balloon.

Aggressive Negotiations fires an electric blast. The Kaiju shakes it off and roars. It charges faster.

“Damn,” Ezra says dumbly.

“Mrow,” Katja agrees. She paws at Ezra’s hand absently. Ezra strokes her ear.

The Jaeger powers up its flamethrower, the sizzling of the embers apparent through news microphones. Ezra grits his teeth; fire and water don’t mix. Neither does electricity. This has potential to go horribly wrong.

Aggressive Negotiations coats the Kaiju in flames. Its reptilian scales simmer and burn, unused to the maximized heat exposure.

But it moves. It reaches the Anti-Kaiju Wall.

And with its last steps, it takes the wall down. 

Dust billows across the eastern section of Lothal City, a smoking crater destroying the Anti-Kaiju Wall and the buildings closest to it.

The Kaiju’s corpse ruins Lothal City for miles. Reporters estimate the death toll to be at least one hundred.

Ezra exhales deeply through his nose. Aggressive Negotiations is praised and congratulated, reporters saying “oh, that could have been much worse!”

Scoffing, Ezra switches the channel. This news outlet is preparing for a press conference.

When Mon Mothma approaches the podium, Ezra is compelled to listen, if only for a moment whilst his rage boiled.

Mon struggles to keep it together. Ezra can count the cracks between her wrinkles.

The woman says, “the Anti-Kaiju Wall has been broken tonight. Lives were lost. It is disheartening to see, but there is an alternative plan to be proposed.”

Mon leans closer to the microphone as cameras zoom in on her.

She announces, “nuclear weapons are developed and will be dropped on the Breach. Our Jaegers will carry them.”

Ezra raises an eyebrow. Interesting.

As questions fly at Mon, Ezra shuts off the holo screen. He rises from the couch, Katja trailing after him in concern.

Ezra lays in bed and hardly sleeps a wink.

~

Thermos full of water in hand, Ezra returns to the construction site for Coruscant City’s Anti-Kaiju Wall. When he notes that builders are still working, Ezra hums. He expected nothing less.

As he breaks away from the awning, the sunrise casting a glow on his skin, he hears Maul’s voice.

“Bridger,” the tattooed man growls, “you have a visitor.”

Ezra tilts his head to the right, where his usual supplies are stocked by his section of the wall. Maul stands with an unpleasant expression beside a stoic older woman in white.

Ezra arches a brow as he approaches, Maul grumbling away as Mon’s figure becomes luminescent.

“Well,” Ezra clips, “I’ll be damned.”

Mon doesn’t regard his condescending breezy tone. “It’s good to see you, Bridger.”

“So,” Ezra puts his hands on his hips, “the attack last night made you think of me, huh?”

Mon’s gaze is careful and calculated. “We’ve always kept an eye on you.”

“Have you?” Ezra harrumphs. “Just cut to it. You’re making everybody uneasy.”

Mon looks around. As Ezra predicted, the builders gawk whilst working.

Mon returns her beady eyes to Ezra, hands clasped over her waistline to emphasize her importance. 

“We want you back,” she says.

Ezra is unimpressed. “Of course you do,” he sighs, “but why now? Won’t your nukes do the job?”

“We need a Jaeger pilot,” Mon reveals.

“Two pilots,” Ezra corrects, “you’ve forgotten that a Jaeger needs two pilots.”

“Yes,” Mon says, “there are plenty of prospective Jaeger pilots eager to make an impression.”

Ezra narrows his eyes. “Sounds like a bloodbath I don’t want to endorse.”

“You don’t miss it?” Mon crosses her arms. “Not even a little bit?”

Ezra shakes his head. “My life doesn’t revolve around the thrill of the chase. Not anymore.”

There is a pointed silence. Mon ducks her head. Ezra does not look away from her.

When Mon addresses him again, a tad sheepishly, she says, “he was right. I shouldn’t have let you pilot a Jaeger so young.”

Ezra purses his lips. He believes the contrary. Despite everything, he was glad he learned a hard lesson in control at only sixteen years old. It ensured he never made such foolish mistakes again.

“You don’t have to come back,” Mon says tactfully. “You don’t have to choose a partner. You don’t have to get inside a Jaeger again.”

Ezra is familiar with Mon’s political persuasion techniques. She had gotten the world to manufacture nuclear bombs, after all.

“I’m asking,” Mon emphasizes, “for your consultation.”

“That would require coming back,” Ezra points out, “and you just said-”

“Bridger,” Mon sighs in exasperation, “I understand how you feel. I do. Kanan was my friend.”

“And he was practically my father,” Ezra gets choked up, but he swallows thickly to prevent rising tears, “so you don’t hold a monopoly over him.”

Mon nods. “It hurts. I know it does. It could have been prevented easily. I hate myself every day for that.”

Ezra senses the anger edged in her tone and connects with it. No matter how much time passes, he’ll always think of something Kanan would say or do in a certain situation. When Ezra started adopting Loth-cats, he could hear Kanan’s drolled complaint about picking up strays wherever he went.

“But if Hera can stay and believe in the cause,” Mon murmurs, “you can certainly return and offer insight to the Skywalker twins.”

Ezra blinks. His brain short circuits, and it takes a moment for his mind to catch up with the words.

Ezra must admit: he is starstruck. Anakin Skywalker was the poster boy for the Jaeger program before his untimely death in combat alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi. He never got to meet either of them, but they were idolized by kids and older adults alike.

His mind folds in on itself and careens to a crash. When Padmé Amidala died during the Alderaan City massacre, their twins were orphaned as teenagers. They must have returned to the Jaeger program with nowhere else to go.

As he opens his mouth, Mon says, “you may know one of them as the flamethrower of Aggressive Negotiations.”

Ezra’s mouth dries. “And the other?”

“If you come with me,” Mon says airily, “I’ll tell you all about them.”

Ezra huffs out a laugh, rolling his eyes at the climbing sunrise. “I don’t know, Mon. I’m pretty fucked up.”

“Then use it,” Mon says nonchalantly.

Ezra is smacked with the realization that he would have to see the Prowling Ghost trio again. If he went back, he had to face everything he ran away from five years ago. 

He wasn’t sure if he was ready for that. He freezes up at the prospect of looking into Hera’s round green eyes. His tongue would tie and twist until he couldn’t even make a sound, clamming up like an idiot.

But he couldn’t run forever. He was already so tired.

Ezra’s entire body collapses with the force of his acquiescence. “Only if I get to bring my Loth-cat.”

Mon smiles. “Of course.”


	3. YOU CAN TRY AND TAKE US, BUT WE’RE THE GLADIATORS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezra looks at the helicopter pilot holding the controls steady. Mon observes him an arm’s length away in the cramped area. Her stoic form and eager eyes make Ezra think she wants to say something, so he arches a brow to prompt her.
> 
> Mon brings the microphone attached to her face towards her mouth. Ezra hears her in his earpiece.
> 
> “Yavin has changed since you left,” Mon begins, “I’ll need to catch you up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be between 3-5k from this point forward. It’s time to get into the action!
> 
> I’m also not sure why the spacing isn’t cooperating, but oh well!

[PACIFIC OCEAN - KAIJU YEAR 15]

Ezra places a hand atop Katja’s carrier. The Loth-cat paws at the bars, meowing in sadness.

Through the headphones, the helicopter jolting with their windy flight, Ezra soothes, “I know, honey. I know. Not much longer.”

Ezra lowers a hand to the bars. Katja sniffs and licks Ezra’s index finger before curling up in the back of the carrier. Her round eyes peer in the shadows.

Ezra looks at the helicopter pilot holding the controls steady. Mon observes him an arm’s length away in the cramped area. Her stoic form and eager eyes make Ezra think she wants to say something, so he arches a brow to prompt her.

Mon brings the microphone attached to her face towards her mouth. Ezra hears her in his earpiece.

“Yavin has changed since you left,” Mon begins, “I’ll need to catch you up.”

Ezra tilts the microphone apparatus towards his own mouth. “You can start with the pilots. Why did you recruit young blood?”

Mon squints her eyes slightly. She is careful in her phrasing as she answers, “corporate collectively decided to take what we learned with you and...revise.”

Ezra rolls his eyes. “Are they taking them younger or older?”

Again, Mon waits a beat in consideration. She seems to be perplexed by him. Trying to understand why Kanan stuck up for him in training and let him rise through the ranks so young. 

Or maybe she was trying to figure out why he slipped through their grasp, gone faster than sand sifts between finger cracks.

Ezra didn’t know Mon. Before this, they had only spoken when there was an order being delivered and accepted. And Mon certainly didn’t know him. 

Mon replies, “younger.”

Ezra hums. “Child soldiers, then? So you can mold them into sacrificial ground troops?”

“It wasn’t my decision,” Mon says smoothly.

“Are any of them a Jaeger pilot?” Ezra criticizes, his hand pressing hard on top of the Loth-cat carrier. “Have you reached that point in your experiment yet?”

“No,” Mon casts her gaze downwards, “none of them have that capability.”

“Really?” Ezra tucks a loose hair behind his ear, refusing to allow surprise to enter his voice. “Not one is Force compatible? Who are the pilots, then?”

“Which would you like to hear about?”

“All of them, obviously.”

Mon leans back as the helicopter rocks with a powerful wind gust. Ezra emits a soothing tone to alleviate Katja’s hiss. 

“Dazzling Fury,” Mon says, “is currently piloted by Han and Chewbacca.”

“Chewbacca?” Ezra snickers. “And that’s not a made-up name?”

“Their compatibility is an...oddity.”

“Ooh,” Ezra leans forward eagerly, “sounds like there’s a story here.”

Mon glances over as if hoping they are almost at base. But they weren’t. Not even close.

“We found them living in a junk yard,” Mon explains, “they were using recycled parts to build their own Jaeger.”

Ezra beams. “That’s fantastic! Did they succeed?”

Mon sighs, “they would have, had we not intervened and hired them.”

Ezra laughs. “Oh, that’s awesome! That must have given your guys a real run for their credits!”

Mon narrows her eyes, and Ezra decides to stop laughing after a minute.

“Ahsoka Tano figured they could be more than just Jaeger mechanics,” Mon continues, “and since she is always correct, they completed their training quickly and have been formidable assets.”

“Formidable assets,” Ezra drones, “why don’t you admit that two scavengers impress you?”

Mon tilts her head to the side, unsure whether to be offended or cordial.

Ezra simply smiles. “So,” he says breezily, “what about the flamethrower twins? What’s their deal?”

Mon blinks. “The Skywalkers aren’t inside that Jaeger. Only one of them is.”

Ezra furrows his thick brows. “What do you mean? You found a perfect set! Why would you squander a near-impossible match?”

Mon looks ready to growl or hiss. Ezra remembers his dear Katja, who has taken to meowing in frustration with her carrier.

“I promised their mother,” Mon emphasizes. “I let them work together at first, but the guilt of not keeping my vow was too much.”

“Huh,” Ezra says in disbelief, “congratulations on having a conscience. You’re already better than most of corporate, I’d imagine.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong.”

“Heh,” Ezra’s mouth twitches, “I knew I’d get to you.”

Ezra has a flash of Kanan scolding him on the training mat for using quips as a distraction, relying too much on it, so he clears his throat.

“So,” Ezra asks, “if only one Skywalker prodigy is piloting, who’s the other?”

Mon is uneasy as she says in a quieter tone, “Ahsoka.”

“What?!”

His mind reels as he exhales through the wind buffeting his shoulder-length hair. He’s never heard of a person having Force compatibility with two different people before. Ahsoka and Mon’s Kaiju kill count was already impressive enough when they piloted Righteous Deliverance. With Ahsoka being one-half of Aggressive Negotiations, the Jaeger veteran must be the most decorated soldier in the entire program!

“Interesting,” Mon poses, “isn’t it?”

The truth dawns on Ezra.

“That’s why I’m here,” Ezra says measuredly, “you want to see if I’m Force compatible with anyone else.” Ezra narrows his eyes in suspicion. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that if I were you.”

“That answer is exactly why I am.”

Ezra shrugs, peering into the carrier. Katja was trying to shove her face through the bars. He huffs and sticks his tongue out at Katja. He offers the agitated Loth-cat a grin. “We’re almost there, alright?”

Katja offers a “mrow” in understanding, but decides to file her nails on the metal bars. Ezra allows it.

He doesn’t ask Mon any more questions for the remainder of their helicopter trip.

~

[YAVIN]

After settling Katja into Ezra’s new room, he ventures around the densely-populated base as employees gather in the mess hall. Ezra notes the space expanded even though funding for the Jaeger program is low. The base is cleaner, the technology is upgraded significantly, and the food actually looks appetizing. He files into line at the mess hall and receives a fairly-nutritious platter. 

He does not realize the whispering until he turns around with his tray. Groups of uniformed recruits stare at him, which Ezra definitely wasn’t expecting.

Brushing it off, Ezra beelined for a corner, hoping that no one would-

“Damn,” an unfamiliar voice asks, “where’d they find you, Ezra Bridger?”

Ezra follows the dialogue. He’s never seen the man before, but he wore a mechanic jumpsuit. He was taller than Ezra and had a cocky demeanor. His brown hair flops across his head and his hazel eyes indicate amusement.

“Depends,” Ezra replies, “which time are you talking about?”

The man, older than Ezra, arches a brow, a smirk in his eyes. “Let me introduce you to everyone.”

“And you are?” Ezra asks warily.

“Right,” he grins, “Han Solo. My guy Chewie is just over there.”

Ezra hums, following Han’s eastward hand. A behemoth sits at a table, grunting a faraway hello to Ezra.

“He’s not a talker,” Han shrugs, “but I make up for it.”

Ezra sighs in admission as the crowd blends around him, refusing to interrupt Han. “So you’re a Jaeger pilot, huh?”

“Sure am, buddy,” Han says amiably as they walk, “Chewie and I have been messing with Jaeger parts for years. Most of the pilots here have engineering experience.”

Ezra is ushered into a seat beside Han. Chewbacca simply nods across the table.

As Ezra picks on his food, Han continues easily, “I’m sure Mon’s told you all about us and everything, since she’s told us all about you. What was it like back in the day?”

Ezra trips up, furrowing his brows towards Han’s expressive face. “She told you about me?”

“Well, yeah,” Han laughs, “you think that everybody doesn’t know exactly who you are? You’re an inspiration.”

“How?” Ezra scoffs.

“You wasted a Kaiju alone,” Han says flippantly, “so the fact that it took you awhile to pass out before the mental strain hit you impresses recruits.” He shrugs. “I dunno, man.”

As Ezra eats, a young woman plops herself next to a silent Chewbacca. Her eyes are full of fire and her hair is braided down her lower back.

She asks Han, “how’s it going, junk trader?”

Han chews a meiloorun slice. “I’m doing great, honey. How are you, my darling fire harpy?”

The woman smirks as she leans on the table, elbows propping up hands on cheeks. “I’m doing lovely, thank you.” 

Han uses his fork to motion to Ezra. “Well, Ezra Bridger, this is my girlfriend, the harpy.”

The woman’s eyes widen as they shift to Ezra. “So,” she prompts, “you’re the man, the myth, the legend, huh?”

Ezra poses, “does the harpy have a name?”

Han sputters out a laugh into his food tray. As the woman’s arm comes up to smack Han’s head, he ducks.

She plops back in her seat and says, “you already know who I am. Everyone does.” She folds her arms petulantly. “I’ll give you a minute to figure it out.”

Ezra doesn’t need a minute. She looks exactly like-

“A Skywalker,” Ezra concludes.

“Leia,” she chimes.

“Huh,” Ezra can see the resemblance between Leia and Anakin, “cool.”

Leia isn’t impressed by the sentiment. “You remind me of my brother.”

Ezra blinks; Mon was careful not to discuss the other twin.

She tilts her head in confusion. “He wasn’t mentioned?”

Ezra shakes his head, hoping his wide eyes didn’t betray his curiosity.

Why isn’t anybody talking about the brother?

“Well,” Leia rises from the table abruptly, “I’m sure you’ll see him around. He’s a trainer.”

She rounds the table and kisses Han’s cheek. “Bye, flyboy.”

Leia dashes off to who knows where. Chewbacca emits a grumble so that they know he’s alive. Han hides his blush in a sip of water.

Ezra eats the rest of his meal and bids farewell to Han and Chewbacca.

~

Ezra only makes it down the hallway before Ahsoka rounds the corner and stops him. Even though he had never spoken with the woman before, something implored him to listen.

Ahsoka folds her arms and stands them off to the side. “Bridger,” she says in Mon’s tone.

“Yes?” Ezra prompts, curbing his naturally-sarcastic tone.

“I know we never talked about Kanan.”

Ezra should have expected this. He really should have.

He clears his throat to cast his emotions aside. He is neutral when he looks up at Ahsoka. “It still hurts. But I’m okay.”

“Are you?” Ahsoka asks, her gaze piercing right into his layers of shields. “Because I don’t believe you.”

“Alright, fine,” he confesses hotly, his fists clenching, “I’ll never be okay with it. Never.”

Ahsoka purses her lips. Her head bobs slowly in agreement.

“Me neither,” she agrees. 

There is fire in her harsh tone, a molten lava eking into her bloodstream. It curls around her veins, molding until it is as much a part of her as oxygen.

Ezra meets Ahsoka’s eyes. Her ferocity matches his at the injustice of it all, at the way everything could have been easily prevented if technology advanced faster. Kanan would still be alive, then. And it makes them both sick.

Ezra exhales, the flames simmering in his chest. He recognizes the same thing occurring to Ahsoka, and she nods once.

They part ways.

~

When Ezra reaches his room, they wait in front of his door. Staring. Stoic. Inescapable. 

A jolt of fear skitters up Ezra’s spine. The chill causes goosebumps to rise on his arms, which he quickly cast behind his back. 

In this situation, Ezra must be strong.

He advances, training his expression. He had no idea what he was about to walk into, and in a public hallway, no less.

Three pairs of eyes settle on him. Zeb’s are careful, Sabine’s are fierce, and Hera…

As Ezra gulps, garnering the strength to look into Hera’s expressive eyes, she moves forward.

She encapsulates him in a hug. 

Ezra blinks down at Hera’s shoulder, stiffening as her hand rubs his upper back.

“Oh, honey,” Hera mumbles, “I’m so happy to see you.”

A lump forms in Ezra’s throat. 

Why was this happening? Hera should be angry at him! Pissed! Furious!

Hera pulls back and frowns down at Ezra. “What’s the matter?”

Ezra swallows thickly. His voice comes out reedy. “Why are you being nice to me?”

Hera narrows her eyes. Her hand brushes Ezra’s hair away from his cheek, casting it behind his ear.

Her mind reels, searching his expression. When she realizes it, she stares in disbelief.

“Are you telling me,” tears rise in Hera’s eyes, “that you’ve spent the last five years blaming yourself for something you couldn’t have stopped?”

A lone tear falls down her delicate cheek. Ezra hates that she had to lose Kanan so soon in her life. 

And no matter what she says, that will always be his fault.

“Honey,” Hera sniffles, her voice tinged with sorrow, “Kanan knew he would die.”

Ezra’s mouth parts as the air is sucked out of lungs. He inhales sharply, blinks rapidly, and backpedals into the wall.

“What?” He breathes, looking down at his feet as the dirty floor blurs with tears. “What?” He repeats, exhaling deeply as his eyes move towards Hera’s face. 

Gathering his mixed emotions, with one final exclamation, he hisses:

“WHAT?!”

Passerby stop and stare. Zeb and Sabine flash their teeth and growl to get them to move. Their striking blue and orange hair dye, respectively, get cadets to backpedal from sheer proximity to the color violence.

Ezra hugs his middle. He swallows his emotions. He leans back against the wall and breathes. His mind is on a tailspin at the implications.

Concernedly, Hera murmurs, “Kanan could tell that his end was near. All Force compatibles can. He wouldn’t want you to feel this way, Ezra.” She sighs. “I’m only sorry you had to go this long not knowing that.”

Ezra worries his lip. There had been rumors that Force compatibles have foresight, but Ezra never experienced it himself, so he dismissed the idea.

But as Ezra replays Kanan’s behavior on the day of their Hoth Island Kaiju fight, he realizes that it’s true. 

Kanan knew he would die. He knew, and he didn’t say anything to protect Ezra.

Ezra’s entire body sinks. The Prowling Ghost crew is eerily quiet, giving him time to process. It is very unlike the people he knew from five years ago, who would be teasing him for his idiocy. 

Pushing away from the wall, Ezra says carefully, “thank you for telling me.”

He crosses the hallway like a drunkard, shuffling forward as if he expects to collapse at any second. When his palms press against his door, a whoosh of exhaustion sweeps over him.

Did he really just get here a couple hours ago?

Standing up, Ezra keys in the door code, barely remembering Mon’s earlier instruction. He mutters a “bye” to the concerned onlookers as he carries himself over the threshold. 

He is grateful when the door closes on its own and he is welcomed by a restless Loth-cat.

~

As always, Ezra wakes with the sunrise. He sets out food and water for Katja before greeting the base in airy black clothing with his hair in a bun.

The hallway traffic is minimal, so Ezra wanders until a pushingpullingtugging guides him to a base sector he did not canvas the day before.

He’s never felt anything like the pushpulltug, so he follows it. He follows it past the mess hall, the war clock, the Jaeger hangar, the control rooms, until he approaches a dead end. He frowns at the empty wall, but a door to the left catches his eye. 

He turns to face it. The door slides open from a motion sensor. 

Ezra crosses the threshold and observes the layout: rusted pipes lining the walls, the boiler in a corner, and a gray mat lining the floors. A rack of bamboo sticks lay askew in their vertical holders.

The training room hasn’t changed a bit.

But the man inside is unfamiliar.

Ezra watches him fight with limitless energy. The man does not tire, moving quickly and effortlessly. He’s sweating an entire bucket, the sheen apparent on his tan skin, but his demons are strong. They do not control him, per se, but they influence his movements.

Ezra examines the fringe of the man’s bangs, how his hair changed color based on which ceiling light hit the strands. He looks murderous one second and completely calm in the next. There is a calculated method to his madness, which invited Ezra closer and warned him at the same time.

And his eyes. Steady. Bright. Harsh. 

Soothing?

Strange. The pushpulltug is a spark. It is the flick of a lighter, igniting the start of a flame. It is two wooden sticks rubbed together to create a campfire. It is a flare, the hissing of a zapper, a light being switched on in the darkness.

It is a wave of fireworks being detonated into the night sky, blazing and luminescent.

The man backflips on the mat, bamboo stick vaulting him before landing on his bare feet. His gray sweatpants and white undershirt sway with his fluidity.

Blue eyes meet Ezra’s. Bangs stick to a sweaty forehead. 

He drops his bamboo stick as the spark simmers in him, a defeated clop resounding in the training room.

The man narrows his eyes, feet smashing against the spongy mat. He approaches curiously, but pauses before he is an arm’s length from Ezra. 

The man smiles. Ezra’s heart thumps at how his entire being lights up, the room rendering him golden from his hair to his dimples.

“Hello,” his voice is gentle, a thunder clap of power, “are you new?”

Ezra’s mouth is dry. His tongue is sandpaper in his throat. He swallows thickly to regain fluids.

“Uh,” Ezra ducks his head, unable to look at his brightness fully, “old, actually.”

Ezra’s hands clench behind his back. In his nervousness, he bakes from the inside out.

The man’s brows pinch together. His nose scrunches. “Is that right? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

“Uh,” Ezra smiles sheepishly, “I’m…well,” he shifts his weight from one leg to the other.

“You’re...well?” The man struggles not to laugh in amusement. “What’s the matter? I won’t bite you.”

The words that come to Ezra’s mind are “you could’ve fooled me with those moves.”

The man smirks, and a tingle travels through Ezra’s spine. “The claws are away, I promise.” He holds up his hands as if expressing his harmlessness. “What’s your name?”

Ezra regains his wit, oddly at ease. “The name spoken with disdain and disappointment around here is Bridger.”

Recognition reaches the man’s eyes. “I heard you would make an appearance.” 

Nonplussed, he whirls around, arches down, and grasps the bamboo stick. Twirling it to an upright position between his fingers, he regards Ezra again.

“My last name is also famous around here,” he says, “but you can just call me Luke.”

It hits Ezra as a lightning bolt. He bristles, but gathers his thoughts in a calm manner.

Luke Skywalker uses the bamboo stick as a cane. His head tilts to the side.

He exhales, “would you like to fight me, Ezra Bridger?”

Ezra’s instinct is to laugh, but the challenge emboldens him instead.

He shrugs. “Sure. Why not?”


	4. DELICATE IN EVERY WAY BUT ONE: THE SWORDPLAY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke pauses, steely blue eyes examining Ezra. They are an inch apart, and Ezra’s cheeks flush.
> 
> “I thought you said you haven’t trained in years,” Luke points out.
> 
> “I haven’t,” Ezra mumbles, “I’m as surprised as you that I remember.”
> 
> Luke steps back, twirling the bamboo stick between his fingers fluidly. “Do you still want me to go easy on you?”
> 
> Ezra smiles, soaring with confidence. “No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in the ER this week and I’m still recovering at home. I meant to rewrite the end scene but it will just have to do.

[YAVIN - KAIJU YEAR 15]

Ezra retrieves a bamboo stick and steps onto the mat. He tightens his bun and tucks in his lightweight clothing.

He faces Luke and nods in assent.

Luke advances with his bamboo stick. Ezra quickly blocks him. Luke attempts an uppercut towards Ezra’s throat, but Ezra counters.

Luke pauses, steely blue eyes examining Ezra. They are an inch apart, and Ezra’s cheeks flush.

“I thought you said you haven’t trained in years,” Luke points out.

“I haven’t,” Ezra mumbles, “I’m as surprised as you that I remember.”

Luke steps back, twirling the bamboo stick between his fingers fluidly. “Do you still want me to go easy on you?”

Ezra smiles, soaring with confidence. “No.”

This time, when Luke strikes, Ezra stumbles at the attack. He backpedals and realigns his balance, sending Luke on the mat. Luke manages to spring up in a single heartbeat, blowing on his bangs to usher them to the side.

Ezra surrenders to a blur of offensive and defensive movements. Luke is an absolute warrior, Ezra struggling to keep up.

He doesn’t know how long their sparring session lasts, but soon, it is apparent they aren’t the only ones in the training room anymore.

And as the chatter reaches its peak, a whistle silences everyone.

Luke stops his assault, taking a military stance in the middle of the mat. His eyes are wary, but not tired. Ezra’s legs are jelly as he catches his breath.

Luke arches a brow and regards the wall of the training room. He flips his bamboo stick once before using it as a cane. 

Ezra looks over at the pack of people watching their sparring session and nearly faints.

Undeterred, Luke stares. His voice is harsh and clipped, directed towards a group of chortling recruits. “Do we amuse you, cadets?”

Leia laughs into Han’s side as the recruits freeze and fall silent. 

Oh, right. Leia mentioned that Luke is a trainer.

Eyes bore into Ezra. Zeb and Kallus are impressed, Sabine whispers something to an unfamiliar woman, and Hera is neutral.

Ezra squirms at the woman in white by the door. His arm jerks up in an awkward hello wave. 

He immediately wants to throw himself off the Yavin base grounds and drown in the ocean. That would be less humiliating.

Mon stands on the threshold of the mat. She raises her voice:

“Clear out!”

The door whooshes open as recruits and veterans alike file out of the training room in about fifteen seconds.

When the door shuts, Ezra worries his lip. He remembers being scolded daily by Kanan, but Mon would prove to be a different beast to confront.

Though Mon does not seem to care about Ezra. Her attention is entirely on Luke, who is nonplussed by the flagrant display.

“Do you feel it?” Mon asks Luke.

Luke’s eyes dart to Ezra nervously. A corner of his mouth upturns.

“I’ve never felt anything like it before,” Luke says, refusing to look away from Ezra, “did you feel something?”

Ezra offers a tentative smile. “I thought it was impossible for a Force compatible to have more than one connection.”

Luke hums, narrowing her eyes critically at Mon. “You must be proud. Doctor Aphra’s hypothesis regarding Force compatibles is indeed a web, not a chain link.”

Mon huffs, “I’m not happy about her being right. This wasn’t supposed to happen to you.”

“What,” Ezra furrows his brows, hand pressed against his chest in offense, “what’s so wrong with me, huh? What’s so wrong about this?”

Luke smiles genuinely at him. “Nothing, Ezra. Absolutely nothing at all.”

Mon sighs, “I’m meant to keep you safe, Luke. I promised your mother.”

Luke rolls his eyes. “You didn’t care about keeping me safe when I was in a Jaeger, so why do you suddenly care now?”

“WHAT?!” Ezra squawks.

Mon and Luke wear matching perplexed expressions.

“You,” Ezra’s eyes widen as he sputters at Luke, “you never said you were a Jaeger pilot!”

Luke smirks in amusement. “I suppose it did slip my mind.”

“Pshhh,” Ezra’s chest collapses with the force of his exhale, “what Jaeger could you have possibly piloted that I don’t know about?”

“Have you met Han?” Luke prompts.

“Yeah…”

“Before Han and Chewie were recruited,” Luke says, “my sister and I were the Dazzling Fury.”

“Really?” Ezra asks breathlessly.

“The Jaeger was named after us,” Luke says with a shrug, “she brought the fury, I brought the dazzle. I don’t know. A ridiculous name, in my opinion.”

“And when was this?” Ezra asks, his mind cycling through old holo news reports of Kaiju battles.

Luke shuts down, eyes cast towards the mat.

Mon says, “his last mission was on the Scarif Coast.”

Ezra knows how that ended. The islands were reduced to nothing when a Kaiju plunged the area underwater. Only a handful of survivors were carried out in the metal gloves of the Dazzling Fury as the dead Kaiju sunk back into the Breach.

Ezra also recalls an instance where the Jaeger patrolled the streets of Garel City after an attack tore through their business district. Amongst the chaos, the Dazzling Fury knelt before displaced citizens and guided them someplace safe. The holo image of the Dazzling Fury ushering a crowd of dazed survivors to the hospital remained a popular search on the holo net. The Loth-cat perched on the Jaeger’s shoulder helped gain funding for the program.

The Dazzling Fury hasn’t aided civilians like that in a very long time. And the change was because of Mon hiding away Luke.

Men like Luke don’t come around often. The world was already suffering without him.

Ezra empathizes, “I understand how terrifying a disaster is, alright?”

Luke’s hesitant eyes lift up to Ezra’s.

“But,” Ezra says, “I think you should get back out there,” he grins, “with me.”

“Bridger,” Mon hisses, “I’m not letting Luke get hurt again.”

But Luke doesn’t hear her. Something rises up within him, the fire he was told to beat down, to stifle and stomp into ash.

Luke’s delirious smile is directed towards Mon. “Have you told him that the Rising Phoenix is restored?”

Ezra’s breath catches. “What?”

The prospect of entering that metal contraption again should scare Ezra, would have earlier, but Luke changes everything. These sparks should be consuming him from the inside out, but they give him the bravery to face his fears.

Luke understands exactly what Ezra is thinking. He says gently, “Mon was hoping to find another set of pilots for the Rising Phoenix. She thought-”

“That if I’m not compatible with someone,” Ezra continues, “I can find the next pair.”

Luke’s eyes brighten. In a single zap, Ezra knows his thought to be something like ‘we just met this morning and now we can finish each other’s sentences.’

Mon can’t help but comment, “I’ve never seen any connection happen this fast.”

Luke takes advantage of her consideration by saying, “I’m ready to go back in for a test run if Ezra is, Mon.”

Mon purses her lips, but her eyes are kinder, not as sour. 

She says, “the test will be ready in a few hours.”

Luke and Ezra contain their emotions as they express their gratitude. Mon leaves the two of them alone in the training room.

Luke drops his bamboo stick on the mat, feet squashing the foam as he retreats. “We should both rest.”

Ezra bites his cheek. “Hey.”

Luke turns as he reaches the door.

“What were you doing in here so early anyway?” Ezra asks concernedly.

In the back of his mind, Ezra wonders: why was he suddenly invested in Luke’s well-being?

The holo image of the Loth-cat perched on Luke’s side of the Jaeger replays. Ezra refrains from sighing.

Dammit.

Luke chimes, “respectfully, we’re not ready for that conversation.”

The door slides open, and Luke walks through it. The loud closure resounds in the training room. Ezra stands in the middle of the mat.

And mutters to himself, “shit.”

~

A dark-skinned woman secures the latches on Ezra’s Jaeger control suit. Her mauve eyes study the weather-proof fabric, ensuring that the suit had no snags or loose cuffs.

Ezra prompts the woman, “I saw you with Sabine earlier.”

The bald woman regards him critically. Her ‘Onyo’ tag is a stark red against her uniform.

“And?” She asks.

“We haven’t met. I’m Ezra Bri-”

“Everyone knows who you are,” she rolls her eyes, “I don’t see the appeal.”

“Uh,” Ezra blinks, “sorry, did I do something?”

“You left them,” she says harshly, “why would you do that?”

“Because I’m a walking disaster,” he replies, not missing a beat.

She studies his face for a long moment, gauging if he was joking or serious. 

Trick answer: he was doing both at the same time.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, “I just...met Sabine and Hera when they were still messed up over you leaving.” She steps back to survey her work on the armored suit. “I’m Ketsu, Sabine’s...well…”

Ezra notes her shyness and finishes, “girlfriend?”

Ketsu mutters, “right.”

Ezra beams. “Well hi! Good to know Sabine’s not icing out everybody she meets anymore.”

Ketsu half-smiles at the observation. “Are you ready?” She asks curiously.

“Oh,” Ezra shrugs, “you never are, really.”

Ketsu descends the platform stairs. Ezra regards Mon’s westward position at the helm of the monitor. 

Ezra takes stock of the extreme upgrades on the old Jaeger. The Rising Phoenix armor is chrome blue instead of silver. The metal is reinforced with an extra layer of thickness. The nuclear reactor at the heart is fortified with steel casing and security measures before the reactor fires outwards. The helmet showing the inner control hub is yellowed out by unbreakable screens. Chinks in the armor are made of titanium bolts that are impossible to melt through; since Jaegers spit venom, it is important that flaws aren’t fatal weaknesses.

Ezra feels much better about stepping inside this Jaeger than he did five years ago. With Luke by his side, he could do this again.

Heavy boots clang up the platform stairs. Ezra arches a brow at a young woman’s arrival. She wears a cap and goggles over raven hair, her caramel skin making her flashing blue eyes stick out in a crowd. Her maroon leather jacket, dark tee, and gray jeans give her the demeanor of a criminal.

“How’s it going, boss?” She quips, her side grin bright and alarming.

Mon asks, “have you come for your research?”

“Course,” she chirps, “I have a vested interest in my side projects.”

Mon turns to Ezra. “This is Doctor Aphra. I believe she was mentioned earlier?”

The woman lights up as she approaches Ezra. “Ooh!” She stands in front of him and examines him like a science experiment. “You’re the veteran war dog, huh? I thought you’d be older.”

“I prefer cats, actually,” Ezra says breezily.

Aphra’s laugh is its own self-contained explosion. “I like you, dude.” Her leather glove pats his armored shoulder once. “Have fun in there!”

She walks to the opposite side of the platform. Hera’s mechanic droid, Chopper, is alongside a white-blue model yapping in code.

As Mon is about to speak, a blonde head appears on the platform steps. Ezra’s throat is caught as Luke ascends in his own armor. He moves with a gracefulness and ease that Ezra will never achieve. Whereas the metallic fabric of the suit clashes against Ezra’s features, Luke is made to wear it. The suit fits perfectly to his slender form, the shiny quality highlighting his features.

Luke hums at Ezra before addressing Mon. “How are the systems?”

“Fully functional,” Mon says as Luke reads the statistics, “and right on time.”

“Yes,” Luke looks over his shoulder at Ezra, “can I help you?”

“Hm?” Ezra blinks rapidly.

“You’ve been...staring,” Luke frowns, “are you alright? Having second thoughts?”

Ezra is mortified inside.

“No,” Ezra says in a reassuring tone, “it’s just...a lot has changed.”

He’s not wrong. He pats himself on the back for the decent save.

“Right,” Luke faces Ezra, “it must be weird for you! Do you need a second before we go?”

Ezra shakes his head. “No. I’m ready.”

“Okay,” Luke chimes brightly, “I’ll see you up there!”

Ezra catches Mon’s uneasy glance as Luke takes the lift up to the Jaeger’s control hub. Ezra has no idea how Luke can do all of this in stride.

“Inspiring, isn’t he?” Mon muses.

Luke chats amiably with the lift operator.

Ezra hums. He doesn’t trust himself to comment anything else.

“He’s like his mother,” Mon says. “Padmé was always too good for this world.”

The operator laughs at something Luke says, and the lift reaches the control hub. He disappears from view.

“Connecting with him,” Mon says, “will be dangerous.”

Ezra swivels his head.

Mon murmurs, “he’s a damaged young man, same as you. He may put on a convincing front, but he’s suffered a lot in his life.”

As the lift reaches Ezra, he mutters, “sounds like you’re giving me the talk.”

He steps onto the metal lift.

“I am,” Mon says curtly.

The operator moves the lift, and Ezra looks away from a retreating Mon. He clears his mind in a single breath.

The operator examines him before ducking his head and focusing on the controls.

Ezra worries his lip. “Uh, can I help you?”

The man hides beneath his mustache. “No, sir.”

“I’m not a ‘sir,’” Ezra snorts, “if I ever become a ‘sir,’ I want to be promptly slapped in the face.”

The man’s dark eyes glitter in amusement. “It’s good to meet you after all.”

“After all?” Ezra grins. “Who told you unflattering shit about me? Was it Sabine or Kallus?”

“They didn’t. It’s just, um,” he rushes out, “please be careful with Luke. He’s one of the best guys ever.”

So they knew each other. That’s why they were laughing on the way up to the control hub.

Ezra musters a smile that he hopes isn’t too revealing. “I can tell that about him.”

The man smiles beneath his mustache. “The name’s Biggs.”

“Good to meet you,” Ezra says.

The lift reaches the Jaeger control hub. Mechanics were evaluating final system checks on the exterior, sparks flying by the metal bridge.

Ezra clears his throat. “Well, I’ll see you.”

Biggs hums as Ezra steps off the lift. Biggs quickly maneuvers the lift down as Ezra enters the Jaeger interior.

“-and don’t you forget about-”

“I know,” Luke placates a passionate Leia standing near his post, “I think about them every time.”

Leia nods once before hugging Luke fiercely. He spins her around clockwise before the shorter woman lets go. She punches his arm.

“Do good, hotshot,” Leia teases.

She whirls around and catches sight of Ezra. He pretends he is just entering as she shoots Ezra a look. Without a word, she stomps past him in the empty control hub and exits the connected bridge.

Ezra flushes in the shadows. “Did I-”

“No,” Luke says, “that’s Leia being Leia.”

“Uh,” Ezra flounders, “okay.”

“I’ll explain eventually.” Luke reaches his section of the controls, the right side of the Rising Phoenix. He uses his flexible gloves to touch the communication channel. “Almost ready?”

A soothing droid’s voice filters through the interior. “Systems are calibrated and prepared for neural testing, sir.”

“Threepio,” Luke sighs, “I said not to call me ‘sir.’”

“Yes, Master Luke.”

“No,” Luke facepalms, “just Luke.”

“Yes, Luke.”

“Great.”

Ezra refrains from snickering as he enters the left side of the Jaeger controls. Refusing to let his mind wander on being in this position again, he strapped on his helmet. The latches bolt to his form-fitting suit. The cables attach to the suit on their own, fused to his spinal cord, legs, and arms.

He faces the holographic control hub, reading the advanced data and weapons available to them. The technology is far beyond Ezra’s expectations. The warning systems are top notch. Heartbeats and Force connections can be monitored on a whim. The Rising Phoenix is packed with energy.

“Does it feel different?” Luke murmurs from his side of the Jaeger.

Ezra hums at Luke, who was also strapped into the control hub with his helmet secured. “The controls are...impressive.”

“Well thanks,” Luke chuckles awkwardly.

Ezra gasps. “Wait a minute,” he glances at the controls and back to Luke, “you did this?!”

“Some of it,” Luke mumbles, the helmet obscuring his facial expression.

“Impressive,” Ezra says, glad that the helmet screen covers his maniacal grin. “Much better than before.”

“If you two could stop talking,” Han’s voice filters into the Jaeger hub, “I’d love to see some action.”

“Dammit, Han,” the communication muffles as Leia says, “sorry about him. Proceed.”

Ezra looks out of the viewport. The base contents hang in the wings to watch them test the Rising Phoenix. The weight of their eyes psyches him out a little bit, but he pointedly examines the controls.

The Jaeger head lowers and secures itself to the armored body. They register orders from Mon to begin their Force link.

Ezra and Luke share a look, then their helmets hone in on the fireworks. Their minds align and they are plunged in a wavelength of memories.

Ezra sees Lothal City before the first Kaiju attack, eating dinner with his parents at their house, the destruction afterwards, his years living on the streets, his training at Yavin, leaving the Jaeger program, working the Anti-Kaiju Wall, and returning to base.

On Luke’s end, Ezra sees his unconventional family life, his father fading in and out as a pilot, his sudden death, his mother attending events with her children...sobs from Leia, bitterness at Mon, intense loneliness on base, fighting Kaiju, and becoming a fatigued trainer.

Confused as the Force link connects them, Ezra and Luke move in tandem. The Jaeger arms cross into a defensive position.

Why can’t Ezra see all of Luke’s memories?

“Go through the forms,” Mon instructs through their helmet. 

Ezra clears his throat. The wavelength of Luke’s mind is shaky.

Luke guides them through the five forms of basic maneuvers. Ezra lets him, though the flow of their movements isn’t very refined.

It is when they are competing the fifth form that Ezra makes the mistake of looking away from the controls.

It lasts only three seconds, but the distraction is enough. A hole opens in Ezra’s mind, a vortex sucking away the right side of the Rising Phoenix. 

Ezra is there again, flecks of snow swimming in his vision. Clad in white armor, Kanan looks at him, a fluorescent Kaiju eye behind him.

Kanan is snatched away in triple speed, and Ezra squeezes his eyes shut. Control is regained.

But the damage is already done. Luke feels it too. And he freezes.

A Kaiju roar transfers from Luke’s mind to Ezra’s. The snow flecks from Ezra’s memory remain, hanging in the air between them, triggering Luke.

Ezra is transported inside Luke’s mind. His heart stops when he views marble statues and skyscrapers crushed around the city streets.

Alderaan City.

Luke is a teenager in this memory, his bright blue overcoat covering his dirty clothing like a shock blanket. He wanders the abandoned streets aimlessly despite a Kaiju stomping a couple blocks away, quaking the road in timed hits.

“LEIA!” He yells hoarsely. 

His hands stay in his overcoat pockets as he walks briskly around the crumbled sidewalks. Dried tear tracks are on his ashen face, dirt matting his golden head. His eyes are wet and frantic as his voice echoes.

“LEIA! MOM!” He calls out.

A Kaiju roar pierces through the atmosphere. Luke’s heart skips a beat and he leans against the side of a concrete building.

“LUKE!”

Luke gasps, eyes flying open. Leia passes by Ezra and throws herself into Luke’s arms.

“Luke,” Leia is in hysterics as she burrows into Luke’s overcoat, “Luke, Mom was in the building. She,” Leia hiccups, her dirty face wracking with sobs as she looks at her brother, “she pushed me out of the way right before,” she shakes her head, overcome with grief as Luke hugs her.

Meanwhile, Luke is dazed. He holds his sister and breathes slowly, the news absorbing that he lost his mother.

The Kaiju gets closer to them, so Luke murmurs into Leia’s hair, “we have to hide.”

Leia sniffles and nods. Luke guides her into the nearest alleyway as the Kaiju enters the street. Beside a dumpster, the twins curl up in each other’s arms and close their eyes.

“Luke,” Ezra says to the teenagers, “wake up. It’s only a memory. You’re safe. You’re okay.”

Luke must hear him through the noise, because Ezra is plunged back into the Jaeger interior. There is a clunk, Ezra’s head whipping to the side as Luke faints.

He forces the suit to detach from its cables. Ezra rushes to Luke’s side and catches him before he hits the floor. They sag against the wall, Luke leaning into Ezra’s chest.

Heart thumping, Ezra manages to unlatch Luke’s helmet from his suit. He tosses the helmet on the metal floor just as fast footsteps enter the interior.

Ezra is lost in the noise as Luke is lifted onto a stretcher.


	5. LET ME IN THE RING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezra swims in his guilt for pushing too much. They just met! Why did he do this to Luke? He should have known it was going way too far and-
> 
> “You didn’t do anything,” a voice says thinly.
> 
> Ezra jolts. His eyes dart to the cot where Luke lays with his lashes fluttering.
> 
> Luke murmurs, “I’m as much to blame as you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I elongated a simple scene by accident. I wanted to challenge myself by bringing scenes to Ezra rather than write scenes without him. 
> 
> The rest was self-indulgent. *winks*

[YAVIN - KAIJU YEAR 15]

Ezra sits with his knee bouncing against the chair leg. His heart has been racing from leftover adrenaline ever since he was unhooked from the Jaeger and removed from his control suit. Thankfully, Luke wasn’t seriously hurt, but he still hasn’t woken up. 

Ezra swims in his guilt for pushing too much. They just met! Why did he do this to Luke? He should have known it was going way too far and-

“You didn’t do anything,” a voice says thinly.

Ezra jolts. His eyes dart to the cot where Luke lays with his lashes fluttering.

Luke murmurs, “I’m as much to blame as you are.”

Ezra frowns at the blonde man’s nonchalance. “I fucked up,” he says harshly, “and it was a complete rookie mistake. I should’ve never encouraged you to do something you were reluctant to try again.”

Luke’s tired blue eyes regard Ezra carefully. “I wanted to go in that Jaeger with you. It was my fault for not opening up to you.”

Ezra shrugs. “I understand having trust issues. I used to have my walls up all the time.”

“How did you get past them?” Luke asks curiously, sitting up in the cot. 

Ezra definitely doesn’t think about how Luke’s messy hair emulates an angel with a halo.

As Luke rests his back against the pillows, Ezra answers, “I realized that the pain of putting yourself out there is worth it.”

Before Luke replies, Mon enters the medbay. Her movements are so jerky that Ezra imagines a trail of fire emitting from her shoes.

“You’re both suspended,” Mon says, “and I should have never trusted either of you. It was a mistake and an oversight on my part.”

“Mon-” Ezra starts.

“No,” Mon says fiercely, “I refuse to put Luke in danger.”

Luke scoffs, “don’t talk to him like he’s to blame.”

“He is,” Mon argues, “and he’s forgotten how to act with decorum in a military base.”

Luke narrows his eyes, his expression growing sour. “If anyone’s in the wrong here, it’s me, and you know it. Stop protecting me.”

“I promised your mother,” Mon reiterates, “that I would do everything in my power to-”

“Why don’t you do this for Leia?” Luke cuts in. “Why does Leia get to run around here shouting at anyone who provokes her and pilot a Jaeger while I’m sidelined?”

“Because stopping her,” Mon replies slowly, “will make her behavior worse. You’re different. You don’t have her…”

Luke arches a brow at the end of her sudden tirade. “Her what?”

“Temperament,” Mon sounds out, “and it’s a good thing, too. You’re like your mother, but unlike her, I want you to remain alive.”

The following silence is deafening. Ezra squirms in his seat as Luke stares daggers at Mon.

“Great,” Luke’s voice is curt and sharp, “it’s great to know where you stand, Mon. I’ve never felt more alive in that Jaeger, but I’m just a little pet to be caged and groomed.” His arms cross. “No wonder you’re suffocating me.”

Mon inhales sharply, and a blotch of crimson plinks on the floor.

Blinking in a daze, Mon touches her nose.

Ezra stands, his heart rate quickening. “Ma’am?”

Mon removes her hand from her nose. A river moves to her upper lip. A thick droplet is present in her finger.

She turns away curtly and leaves the medbay.

Luke tears off the sheets. “Mon?!” His legs swing over to the side of the bed.

Ezra rounds Luke’s cot as he grits his teeth. A headache ripples between their newfound bond.

Ezra places a light hand on Luke’s shoulder, coaxing him. “Your mind’s fragile right now, Luke.”

That doesn’t seem to be the right thing to say, because he shoots Ezra a dirty look.

“Are you gonna help me up or not?” Luke asks coldly.

Note to self: Luke Skywalker is stubborn.

Since Ezra isn’t the shining example of good judgement, he agrees with “hold onto my shoulder.”

Luke struggles to stand as his arm casts around Ezra’s neck. Ezra’s long unbound hair brushes against his skin, but Luke does not comment on the proximity.

Ezra registers that Luke is shorter than him. Luke’s head bobs close to Ezra’s shoulder blade. Blonde hair dusts Ezra’s chin briefly as Luke adjusts to the aid.

“Okay,” Luke’s eyes widen at Ezra’s cheekbone scars, “hm.”

“What?” Ezra tips his head down, expecting a comment on the scars; he’s used to it, but there’s been no encounters about them thus far.

Luke’s unoccupied hand places his index and middle finger together horizontally. “I have scars like that,” he murmurs, “but they’re on my shoulder.”

Ezra bites the inside of cheek to prevent himself from remarking something foolish about destiny.

Luke nudges his chin towards the door. “Let’s move.”

Ezra guides Luke out of the medbay. Their Force compatibility is the only reason they remain upright and advance without tripping or falling; the wavelength that is heightened in the Jaeger control hub stays stagnant but impossible to ignore.

“MON!” Luke exclaims.

Employees and cadets alike gawk as Ezra and Luke hobble in the hallways. Ezra notes the edge of Mon’s uniform as she rounds a west corner.

A pounding occurs in Luke’s head and transfers to Ezra, but they are steady.

As they bank around a corner, Leia shouts, “WHAT ARE YOU TWO IDIOTS DOING?!”

The woman rushes up in a jumpsuit, which she doesn’t seem to ever take off, and holds onto Luke’s sagging shoulders. Luke tips his head up at his furious sister.

Leia sets her dark gaze on Ezra. “Why are you dragging my brother out of bed after he fainted?!”

“Mon’s not okay,” Luke says weakly, “I need to see her.”

Leia furrows her brows, braids swinging over her shoulders as she snaps her head between their resolute expression. Luke and Ezra must match, because she steps back, hands dropping to her sides.

“Fine,” Leia rolls her eyes as she hoists up Luke’s unoccupied side, “let’s go, hippie guy.”

When Ezra realizes she’s addressing him, he mutters an “my hair isn’t that long” before guiding Luke towards the pilot rooms.

Mon’s private room has the door partially left ajar. Leia has no qualms about plunging into the metal to push the heavy door open.

“Mon!” Leia calls, the running water in the bathroom flowing to garble her voice. “What’s going on?!”

Ezra manages to kick the door closed, effectively shutting out prying cadets. He checks on Luke, who had grown a shade paler on their journey.

As Leia leaves Luke’s side to tear open the bathroom door, Ezra murmurs gently, “are you alright?”

Luke hums noncommittally. “Migraine.”

A twinge hits Ezra’s frontal lobe. He cringes and mutters, “I can feel it.”

“Sorry,” Luke sighs, “I forgot about that part of Force bonding.”

“It’s okay,” Ezra placates.

“Mon,” Leia gasps, “why is your nose bleeding?”

Ezra peers into the bathroom. Mon’s tired reflection in the mirror shows her uniform is spotted with blood.

“Radiation poisoning,” Luke says hollowly, “you have radiation poisoning.”

Mon wipes away the blood dripping from her nose. Leia looks between Mon, Luke, and Ezra.

“I don’t believe this,” Leia breathes at Mon’s reflection, “you’ve been hiding radiation poisoning for years! Ever since you retired from Jaeger piloting!”

Leia steps out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She sends a worried look to Luke as Ezra holds him upright.

“Mon,” Leia’s eyes glisten with hurt, “why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Mon whirls around, bloody nose gone, but does not have time to reply. The metal door bangs like an explosion with the force of a knock.

“MON!” A shrill woman yells. “I have to tell you something right now!”

Mon walks over to a table pushed to the corner of the room and lowers herself into the chair slowly. “Let her in,” she orders.

Leia frowns but does as she is told, twisting the wheel that opens the rusted door. While she does this, Ezra walks Luke over to the chair and ushers him into the spare seat.

“Thanks,” Luke mutters.

Ezra hums and stands near the chair back, sensing Luke’s mental instability flaring up for a moment.

When Leia closes the door again, Doctor Aphra is inside the room. Her leather jacket is torn and her shirt is dirty, her eyes wild and raven hair a curly mess.

“Mon,” she catches her breath as if running the whole way there, “am I permitted to speak freely?”

Mon examines the haggard woman. She casts her gaze to Luke across the table, Ezra next to him, and Leia by the shut door.

She reveals, “Aphra was able to hack a Kaiju brain using Jaeger tech.”

“Yeahhhh,” Aphra chimes as everyone else in the room exclaims, “WHAT?!”

Aphra’s crooked grin betrays her state of mind. “I’m fine,” Aphra emphasizes, “thanks for asking.”

“What did you find out?” Mon asks.

“The Kaiju are a hive mind,” Aphra informs, “the ones coming out of the Breach are soldiers taking orders. They’re not as strong as some of the other Kaiju lurking down there.”

“How did you,” Ezra raises his voice, “if you don’t mind me asking, how did you hack a Kaiju brain when a single pilot passes out from the strain of the Jaeger?”

“Oh,” Aphra sends apologetic looks to Luke and Leia, “I may have fucked up Threepio a little bit.”

Luke sighs. “Why did I give you my mother’s droid, again?”

Aphra smiles sheepishly. “Because you’re a sweetheart who adores my insanity?”

“That’s right,” Luke says bitterly, “I’ll fix him later.”

“At least she didn’t die, huh?” Leia says with a shrug. “That’s a step in the right direction.”

Ezra chooses not to ruminate on the implications of a possible one-pilot Jaeger. He hopes they never have to find out how that would work. It was their most important goal to destroy the Breach, not get used to its presence as it spits out Kaiju and levels cities.

“I remember Han mentioning a dealer he used to hang out with a couple years ago,” Leia says, “his name is...uh,” she snaps her fingers, “Lando! Lando Calrissian!”

“I know him,” Mon sighs, “he runs a black market Kaiju dealership in Tatooine City.”

“Great,” Aphra chimes, “put me in touch with this guy! I need another Kaiju brain in order to-”

“Isn’t that, like,” Ezra frowns at Aphra, “really dangerous? Like,” he furrows his brows at Mon, “you’re seriously not going to put this woman in danger again, are you?”

“Aw,” Aphra wrinkles her nose, “the hippie’s sweet. Don’t you worry about me, honey. I’m tougher than I look.”

“True,” Leia makes finger guns at Aphra, “I’ve seen this woman use a pocket knife to perform surgery on a Kaiju heart.”

“Doctor,” Mon says, “I encourage you to exercise extreme caution. Tatooine City is a wretched hive of scum and…and…”

“Villainy?” Aphra finishes playfully. “I know, Mon. You’ve said that before.”

“At least bring someone with you,” Leia suggests. 

“Pilots need to stay on Yavin,” Mon shuts down, “but that was a good try, Leia.”

Leia pouts but does not protest the order.

“My other droid,” Luke pipes up, “the one you didn’t fuck up, Artoo,” Aphra rolls her eyes at the witty quip as Ezra stifles a smile, “I recently outfitted him with blades.”

“Ooh,” Aphra beams.

“No,” Mon says simply. “Take Chopper.”

“Even better!” Aphra exclaims, bouncing in happiness. “I love that murder bot! Oh, thank you!”

“Wrest Chopper away from Hera and tell her it’s on my orders,” Mon instructs Aphra.

“Yes, ma’am!” Aphra stands ramrod straight, gives a mock forehead salute, and wrenches the metal door open. 

Cadet bodies pitch backwards and exclaim as she slams the door shut behind her. Ezra rolls his eyes at their immature behavior, but then remembers he would have done the same as a cadet and spied on his superiors.

“Now,” Mon asks, “will you both let Luke rest so I have a moment to myself for once?”

Leia looks ready to scream, but a hardened glance from Luke silences her.

“This conversation isn’t over,” Luke threatens, pressing his palms on the tabletop. As he pushes himself up, Ezra hovers to ease Luke against his side. Luke leans against Ezra more willingly than the previous time, but manages to pierce Mon’s gaze with needles. “You can’t avoid the problem forever.”

Without prompting, Leia opens the door and Ezra moves in tandem with Luke. Ezra focuses on their tentative Force bond to guide them into the packed hallway, where cadets try and fail to seem engrossed in their own conversations.

Leia glares at anyone who gives them a look and paves the way for Ezra and Luke. As a result, they are back in the medbay sooner than expected.

Ezra sets Luke down on the cot. Luke tosses his legs around the bed and gets under the sheets without having to be told.

As Luke’s hair creates a crown around the pillow, Ezra mumbles, “sleep while you can. You never know what’s gonna happen in this place.”

“You should too,” Luke suggests, his eyes refusing to meet Ezra’s.

Ezra swallows thickly, his mind tangling itself in a maze of emotions. “Right.”

As Ezra turns towards the door, he meets Leia’s softened features and crossed arms.

Leia shuffles away to allow Ezra to pass. “I’ll take care of him.”

Ezra bobs his head and exits the medbay.

~

Ezra awakens the next morning to his Loth-cat sitting on his stomach. As he stretches, Katja emits a meow and pitches to the side, crashing onto the bed.

Ezra chuckles as his fingers brush through Katja’s fur. “Not feeling so grouchy anymore, huh? Settling in alright?”

Katja swishes her tail against Ezra’s stomach as she climbs onto the opposite pillow. Her twitching ears and large eyes precede her touching Ezra’s nose.

He grins. “You make my whole day, darling. I love ya.”

There is a careful knock on his metal door. Ezra sits up in bed with a jump and frowns. He glances at the holographic clock and has a miniature heart attack when he learns that he slept through the morning.

Katja perches on Ezra’s vacated pillow while he scrambles out of bed. His socks catch on the ankle bands of his sweatpants, but he holds himself up before he can trip. He untucks a loose side of his white undershirt as he pulls open the heavy door.

Luke stands outside carrying a meal tray packed with twice as much food as he could eat. Hunger registers in Ezra’s mind.

“Uh,” Ezra blinks and squeaks, “hi?”

Luke’s eyes widen. “Sorry. Did I interrupt something?”

“No!” Ezra blurts, laughing awkwardly as he holds the door open. “Sorry, I was just surprised. You can come in.”

Luke hesitantly crosses the threshold. As Ezra closes the door, Luke stiffens. Ezra frowns, following Luke’s eyeline. A bundle under his rumpled sheets works its way to the foot of the bed.

Ezra snickers. “That’s just Katja.”

Hearing her name, the Loth-cat’s head emerges from the edge of the sheets, popping out and looking at them dazedly.

Luke stares at the Loth-cat for a moment. Curious, Katja hops out of the bed and slinks across the room. Her head nudges Luke’s leg, and he looks down while holding the tray.

Luke beams. “Hi! You’re cute!”

Comprehending the compliment, Katja purrs.

“Oh!” Luke looks shyly at Ezra. “Can I pet her?”

“Uh,” Ezra takes the tray from Luke’s grasp and says, “sure.”

Katja has never acted like this around anyone before. Granted, Ezra kept her cooped up for her own safety, but she was an independent cat who only enjoyed Ezra’s company.

Ezra trudges over to the two-person table and sets down the food tray. Luke kneels down and scratches behind Katja’s ear.

“Hey,” Luke chuckles as her tail swishes, “you’re a sweet girl, huh? And so pretty!”

“Mrow,” Katja agrees.

As Luke smiles at the Loth-cat, he murmurs, “I didn’t know you were from Lothal City.”

Ezra had almost forgotten about the latest Kaiju destroying his home yet again. In all the madness, he hadn’t found out more information on what was ruined.

“Yeah,” Ezra scratches his head, “uh, I guess our memories aren’t very specific in regards to places, huh? Where are you from?”

Luke winces as he retracts a hand from Katja. “All around, really. My favorite place, though, is Naboo City.”

“Never been,” Ezra says, glancing at the tray, “so you, uh, got me food?”

“Yeah,” Luke stands slowly, Katja following him to the table, “the thing with that is, uh,” he ducks his head as he reaches Ezra, “they kept, uh,” Luke exhales, “staring at me like I was gonna implode.”

Ezra blinks. “Oh.” He pulls out both chairs. “I used to get stares for fucking up. I don’t even notice anymore.”

Luke takes the offered seat as Katja lingers under the table. Ezra sits and picks up the overripe shuura fruit, studying the sunset pallor before biting into it.

While Ezra chews, he contemplates the way Luke won’t meet his gaze. Luke goes for the bread and tears up little pieces of it. He pops them into his mouth like a bird.

Ezra studies Luke’s thick blonde lashes, the presence of freckles on his cheekbones, the sweep of his golden bangs. He notes that Luke was regaining a bronzer skin tone due to excess rest, a spotting of color present in his cheeks.

After a moment, Ezra muses, “you look better than yesterday.”

Luke’s hesitant eyes dart across the table to Ezra’s. He says gently, “my migraine is gone.”

A swoop of an emotion Ezra can’t identify tumbles from Luke’s end of the bond. A warmth passes between them, and their gazes hold.

“I can tell,” Ezra says amiably, offering a half-smile, “I’m glad you’re in a better mood too.”

To Ezra’s surprise, Luke laughs softly.

“Sorry about yesterday,” Luke says, “I can be...a lot.”

“Me too,” Ezra grins, “so we have something in common.”

Luke’s eyes glitter. “We haven’t really gotten to know each other since we met.”

“It’s this base,” Ezra makes a random hand motion, “it’s never wanting for drama.”

Luke twirls a plastic fork between his fingers. “Have you got anywhere to be today?”

Ezra shrugs. “Mon can’t tell me what to do. And besides, we’re suspended.”

“That we are,” Luke stifles a laugh, “so would you mind if we hid in here today?”

The spark between them returns at the prompt, but it does not ignite into fireworks. Ezra recognizes it as a sign of control on both of their parts. Ezra is grateful; he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if Luke kept messing with his reasonable mind without even trying.

Why did he have to be Force compatible with the cutest guy on this base?

Ezra smiles on default. Katja brushes up against his leg as if asking why he was taking a beat to answer Luke.

“Sure,” Ezra replies.

When Luke’s expression brightens, Ezra realizes that he would do anything to keep that look on his face.


	6. GLORY AND GORE GO HAND-IN-HAND

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Ezra reach the semicircle of Jaeger pilots standing before Mon. Ahsoka is beside Leia, Han is with Chewbacca, and Hera is between Sabine and Zeb. Kallus and Ketsu linger in the wings as concerned parties.
> 
> Mon sends Aphra a look from across her hypothetical podium. She is beside a trio of droids, Ezra only recognizing Chopper. He figures the other two are Luke’s droids, Artoo and Threepio.
> 
> A haggard Aphra sighs, “well kids, before you go out there, you should learn the latest update. And it’s a real doozy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank Alwaysandalso and admirabletragedy for giving me hilarious ideas to sprinkle into this chapter.
> 
> I apologize if the battle scene seems disjointed at parts. The struggle was real.

[YAVIN - KAIJU YEAR 15]

Ezra moves alongside Luke towards the main control room. The alarms sound different. Shrill. Deafening. The hallways stream with panicked cadets and exhausted employees who have dealt with this too many times.

Are the blaring alarms necessary, Mon?

There is a log jam in the hallway. Shoves occurring in various directions create a scatterplot wherein no one reaches a destination. This results in extremely loud shouts followed by relenting uniforms. 

As Ezra studies a bobbing blonde head a couple feet away, a wolf whistle slices through the crowded atmosphere. Employees duck and curse at the sound.

Beaming, Luke removes his fingers from his lips and shouts, “MOVE, I’M GAY!”

Grumbles resound in the hallway, but various uniforms part and hug the walls. A gaping hole leaves Luke and a blinking Ezra in the middle of the hallway.

Luke’s grin lingers as he turns towards Ezra. “Come on,” he says brightly, “they’re probably all waiting!”

“You’re such a drama queen,” a man mutters amongst the ranks.

Luke laughs and points at the dark-haired man. “Thanks, Wedge! Great to see you out in the trenches!”

“It’s great to be here,” the man, Wedge, rolls his eyes and mutters. “Now walk your designer boots in there before everyone gets mad.”

Luke winks. “I sure will. Let’s get after it!”

Luke disappearing into the main control room spurs Ezra to follow. He’s still stunned over that interaction, plus the knowledge that Luke is ridiculously and handsomely available.

And Luke wears designer boots? Well, to each their own.

Luke and Ezra reach the semicircle of Jaeger pilots standing before Mon. Ahsoka is beside Leia, Han is with Chewbacca, and Hera is between Sabine and Zeb. Kallus and Ketsu linger in the wings as concerned parties.

Mon sends Aphra a look from across her hypothetical podium. She is beside a trio of droids, Ezra only recognizing Chopper. He figures the other two are Luke’s droids, Artoo and Threepio.

A haggard Aphra sighs, “well kids, before you go out there, you should learn the latest update. And it’s a real doozy.”

“Fantastic,” Zeb mumbles.

Aphra grins, her hands clasping together behind her back. She rocks on her feet and says, “I just returned from Tatooine City, where I met with Lando about retrieving a Kaiju brain. He already knew the situation, and it’s this: the Kaiju need to recognize one of their own kind when we get a shot to destroy the Breach; it’s the only way they’ll let us near it. Unfortunately, by finding this out,” she wrings out her hands, “I exposed us to them. This attack isn’t going to be pretty; there are two of them out there at once.” She grits her teeth and shows them. “That’s the price we pay for science, everyone. Okay!” She claps her hands once. “Good luck cleaning up my mess!”

“Great,” Sabine crosses her arms and glares at the woman, “how many of us are going?”

“All of you,” Mon stares pointedly at Luke and Ezra, “except them. They’re on reserves.”

“Reserves is better than suspension!” Ezra sings.

Han grins over his shoulder at Ezra. “Yeah, I like you, man.”

“Get moving,” Mon clips.

Hera prompts Sabine and Zeb with a throat clear. They share goodbye looks with Kallus and Ketsu, then trail after Hera. 

Chewbacca mumbles a sound, and Han says to Leia, “good luck out there, fire goddess.”

“Don’t do anything reckless, trash digger,” Leia deadpans, walking with Ahsoka to the hangar bay.

Han and Chewbacca follow, leaving Luke and Ezra in the room. Aphra observes them warily as she faces the holo screens.

Mon says, “stay here, both of you. Watch with me.”

Luke squirms. When Mon’s back turns, Ezra sends him a concerned look.

“We might have to go out there,” Luke says quietly.

Ezra nods. “We’ll be ready.”

Luke’s brows furrow in endearing confusion. “How do you know that?”

Ezra smiles wanly. “Just a feeling.”

Luke purses his lips. When Mon flicks on a news report tracking the two Kaiju, they turn their attention to the screen.

“-are distinguishable by their animal-like physiques,” a female reporter says in a voiceover, the helicopters sweeping over the rumbling ocean. “The larger Kaiju seems to resemble the body of an ape while the other is reptilian in nature.”

The ape Kaiju emerges from the rippling tides and roars. It is closest to Tatooine City. It can’t be a coincidence that Aphra just returned from there after discovering the key to destroying the Kaiju and the Breach. They are sniffing out Aphra, exactly how she said it. And now she’s a couple feet away from Ezra and Luke.

Splendid.

“They’re going to head for us, you know,” Ezra says under his breath.

Aphra frowns over her shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, dude. They’re going for Lando because he talked.”

“How do you figure they would know Lando talked?” Ezra wonders.

Aphra faces him, the holo screen giving her a dark silhouette. She folds her arms and replies, “we were in a room full of active Kaiju specimen. Twitching body parts. We still don’t know how their physiology works. They could have ears in their kidneys.”

“You hacked a Kaiju brain,” Ezra says, “and you said they have a hive mind. Tell me,” he tips his head to the side, “which is more likely: that they have ears in their kidneys,” he switches feet as Mon regards him, “or that they accessed information from your own mind?”

Aphra’s mouth falls open. “Oh, fuck.” Her boot stomps loud on the floor. “FUCK!” Her hands fly to her messy hair, free of a pilot’s cap and goggles. “Oh no,” she sighs at Mon, “I fucked up so bad! Like, way worse than usual! Shit!”

“Calm down,” Mon says curtly at the display, “they won’t get close to Yavin.”

“-are getting dropped right now,” a frantic male reporter says on the holo screen. “All three Jaegers at once!”

Ezra watches the helicopters unlatch the cords on each Jaeger. The Prowling Ghost is released in front of the ape Kaiju, the reptilian Kaiju having retreated underwater. A splash gives the three-pilot Jaeger enough time to power up their weapons. The hands retract and form high-powered buzzsaws, taking up a crouched position.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Ketsu mutters from the corner.

“Me too,” Kallus agrees.

Their communication systems filter from a screen in the room.

“-to take Form III,” Hera commands.

“Its fists are the size of my body!” Sabine exclaims.

The ape Kaiju eyes the Jaeger and growls, rattling the news microphones. Studying its target, the Kaiju charges with fists raised.

“Top arm calibrated,” Zeb says gruffly.

“Left ready to arch,” Hera clips.

“Right ready to slice,” Sabine recovers.

As the Kaiju arches left with an arm, the buzzsaws tear through its back and right arm. There are shouts from the Prowling Ghost’s comm line.

“This damn thing won’t go down!” Sabine says raggedly. 

“Fire phasers!” Hera yells.

Beams of light replace the buzzsaws, aggravating the Kaiju’s temper. Its wounds are fluorescent blue, but none are enough to prevent the Kaiju from throwing back the Prowling Ghost. The crimson-plated Jaeger flies backwards and crashes into the ocean. 

Ezra’s stomach lurches just as Kallus and Ketsu gasp.

“That’s it,” Leia says through the Aggressive Negotiations’ comm system, “I’m not hanging back anymore.”

“Ahsoka,” Mon orders.

“I’m with Leia,” Ahsoka growls, “we’re killing this while you rescue the Prowling Ghost.”

Mon sighs, but does not seem surprised. She presses a button on the control board. She patches through to the helicopters and orders them towards the Prowling Ghost wreckage.

Since the Jaeger is a sitting duck in the water, its crew stuck inside, Ezra’s stress level reaches an uncharacteristic high. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself if Hera, Sabine, and Zeb were hurt.

He makes the mistake of looking over at Kallus and Ketsu, who were murmuring encouragement to each other. He could never be in their place.

“I’m in,” Han’s voice patches through from the Dazzling Fury, “and so is Chewie.”

Mon facepalms and says through a microphone, “none of you do anything stupid.”

She looks between Luke and Ezra warily.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Mon shakes her head, “but you need to suit up.”

Ezra hums. “You were right, Luke. The suspension was indeed short.”

Luke bites back a chuckle.

“Ketsu,” Mon says curtly, “get the armor on them now.”

Ketsu breaks away from Kallus. Her expression is neutral despite the shakiness in her steps.

“Come on,” she instructs as she exits the main control room.

Ezra and Luke trail after her.

~

[YAVIN - PACIFIC OCEAN - TATOOINE CITY - CORUSCANT CITY]

“-are tag-teaming the Kaiju, but nothing seems to be working,” a reporter feed garbles as Ezra is outfitted into the Jaeger interior. “The other Kaiju, meanwhile, is encroaching on the outskirts of Tatooine City. The entire area has been issued evacuation orders, which are currently underway.”

The cables are secured to Ezra’s even newer control suit; he has no idea how they were able to retrofit it so quickly. The fresh dark armor plates, not silver anymore, are heavier than the model from five years ago, but snug and maneuverable. The helmet, while providing a yellow tint, allows for more clarity.

The controls blink to life, Ezra completing manual energy checks. He flicks from tab to tab on the screen, his control glove tapping and powering up reserves at a rapid pace.

“You don’t have to power up manually,” Luke points out.

Ezra looks over at the other side of the control hub. He almost lost his mind again at the custom silver armor enhancing Luke, but he musters a grimace. “You never know when you’ll need to rely on your Jaeger manual knowledge.”

“Hm,” Luke’s smile is present despite the helmet shield covering its luminescence, “that must be how you knew to question Aphra.”

“It was just a feeling,” Ezra repeats.

“The same feeling you have about our connection working this time?” Luke wonders.

“No,” Ezra turns towards the holo screens to mask his expression, “not the same feeling at all.”

Ezra clears his throat and examines the powered controls. The weapons and capabilities of the Rising Phoenix remained largely the same on Ezra’s side of the interior. The only difference is-

“A laser sword?!” Ezra squeaks, studying the details. “Cool!”

“That one’s mine,” Luke teases, “get your own.”

The sword is indeed on Luke’s Jaeger arm. Ezra relents, “I suppose it does make sense for you to have it. W-with your training and all.”

A sword can easily stand in for a bamboo stick. Even with the complication of handling the weapon through a control suit, he was sure Luke would have no problems adjusting to the change.

The helmet is lowered onto the Jaeger body. The news filtering in about the other Jaegers wounding the ape Kaiju is cut off.

“It’s time to establish a neural link,” Mon says through their helmets. “It needs to be strong.”

As the Rising Phoenix is attached with helicopter cables outside, Ezra and Luke share a look.

Ezra placates, “I trust you.”

Luke exhales through his nose so deeply that it fogs up his tinted helmet.

“You know what?” He breathes. “I trust you too.”

“Initiating link,” Mon says, “keep a clear head.”

Dazedly, Ezra is thrown into their Force bond. This time, Luke hides absolutely nothing from him. 

Ezra receives memories from childhood to the present day. A toddler Luke sits on his mother’s lap while she reads him fairytales. He plays tag with his sister while his parents discuss business. His father explains Jaeger engineering to a captive audience. Luke is dressed in formalwear as a skinny teenager and enjoys going to galas with his mother. 

Luke watches his father die on a holo screen. He hears about his mother’s death from Leia. He grows up angry. Bitter. Lost.

He gets into arguments with Mon. He wants to be a Jaeger pilot, and she harps on the same excuse. But when she learns of his Force compatibility with Leia, Mon agrees to let them fight.

Luke is alive in that Jaeger. He has someplace to put his aggression. Knocking out a Kaiju’s teeth with Dazzling Fury’s rocket fist is his greatest accomplishment.

After a couple wins, Luke is not angry anymore. He accepts the death of his parents, but Leia does not. She grows wilder while Luke becomes calmer. Able to make clear-cut decisions to combat his sister’s hot-headed nature.

That is when the Scarif incident occurs, throwing Luke’s mental state into complete disarray. He is not the same after it, so Mon makes him a trainer.

Luke gets angry again. He becomes the master of every technique. He dismantles veterans and cadets alike in less than a minute. Leia is paired with Ahsoka, and Luke boils in his demotion.

Until Ezra. Until he strides into the training room while Luke has been practicing through a sleepless night. 

Until Ezra matches Luke parry-for-shot, revealing their unusual Force compatibility.

Now, Luke isn’t angry anymore. He is at peace.

Ezra loses his breath; Force bonds usually focus on images, but the emotions laced in Luke’s mind drive him forward. 

And Luke trusted him with this. With that. With everything.

Ezra lets his memories flow towards Luke. He used to filter his emotions out when he was compatible with Kanan to view his life objectively, but he immersed in his emotions. He remembered what it was to be vengeful as well as innocent, lonely as well as content.

Full of hate as well as full of love.

The wavelength that links their minds together pulses with unbridled power. They are completely intertwined, their stories on opposite pages but in the same book.

“I’ve,” Mon says in awe, “never seen a neural link this strong. This will be perfect.”

Ezra opens his eyes, which had fallen closed, and studies the Jaeger controls. The helicopters move the Rising Phoenix out of the base. He glances to the side, and Luke’s bubbly giggle infuses into Ezra’s bloodstream.

Ezra has suddenly never felt better about being inside this Jaeger.

Luke’s voice is melodic as he addresses Mon through the comms. “Are they keeping the Kaiju occupied?”

“T minus five,” Mon replies, “and listen for yourself.”

She flips a switch at Yavin. The news comes back into their feed.

“-managed to incapacitate the Kaiju, but it’s still kicking,” the man reports. “Meanwhile, Tatooine City has been evacuated to the underground levels, and right on time! The second Kaiju is now making its way to land!”

Ezra is weightless as the Rising Phoenix is guided over the ocean. His stomach turns as the metal creaks and rocks.

“Where should we go?” Luke asks. “Bail out the others or Tatooine City?”

“Your nuclear energy can easily kill the Kaiju,” Mon says, “then you’ll follow the other one into the city. Clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ezra says.

“We’ll make it quick,” Luke vows. 

The rolling midnight tides become visible through the Jaeger viewport. Ezra notes that they wouldn’t have much to work with save for artificial light and nuclear power. The difficulty with sight is probably why it’s taking Aggressive Negotiations and Dazzling Fury so long to defeat the Kaiju.

Helicopters sweeping past their Jaeger catch Ezra’s eye. It was the rescue helicopter for the Prowling Ghost!

Against his better judgement, Ezra flicks on the comm and asks Mon concernedly, “are they safe?”

He holds his breath. The memory of teenage Ezra pulling pranks with Sabine and Zeb flits between the bond. Luke inhales, indicating that he saw it too.

Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb hang behind a corner. Kanan and Hera stayed in the same room as a couple. On the day they received mail, Ezra and Sabine hatched a prank. A grumbling Zeb does not protest as Sabine and Ezra fill a box with spring-loaded rubber snakes. 

Sabine sets the package in front of their door and knocks, bolting around the corner where Ezra and Zeb hid. They stifle giggles as Kanan opens the door, picks up the box confusedly, and brings it inside.

After a moment, they hear Kanan’s cursing as the door opens again. Hera chides him to calm down as he growls, “dammit, kids!”

Zeb leads Ezra and Sabine away as they bolt and cackle. The memory fades.

“They’re injured,” Mon answers, “but nothing serious.”

Ezra is relieved, though he doesn’t show it outwardly. 

“Brace for the drop,” Mon says, “you’re approaching.”

Ezra looks out of the Rising Phoenix viewport. The ape Kaiju is twice as large as a Jaeger, and it shows no signs of fainting from exhaustion. Phosphorescent wounds mean that it’s been mauled considerably, but nothing to slow it down.

The cords release from the Jaeger, the helicopters flying away as Ezra falls inside it. He breathes once the Rising Phoenix lands knee-deep in the unpredictable ocean.

He receives an encouraging nod from Luke as soon as the Kaiju roars. Its powerful arms push back on the Dazzling Fury, the Jaeger flying back into the water southward. 

The Aggressive Negotiations manages to pin down the Kaiju. It is forced underwater.

Ezra and Luke break into a sprint. The Jaeger follows seamlessly as nuclear fists are powered up. 

They split the ocean waves, having an advantage over the Kaiju while its back is turned. Luke begins the arch with his arm, and Ezra completes it.

The nuclear power exposes the ape’s largest open wound around the shoulder. The energy sizzles as the Kaiju flops in the ocean. 

The Aggressive Negotiations backpedals as the ape succumbs to the nuclear pain. Its toxic blood reacts unusually, searing off the Kaiju’s arm clear off its shoulders. 

At that, the Kaiju is dead.

The Rising Phoenix regains its footing after the sneak attack. The Aggressive Negotiations patches into the Rising Phoenix’s comm system.

“Holy shit!” Leia cackles. “Why didn’t Mon bring you in sooner?”

“Aren’t you concerned about Han?” Ahsoka scoffs at her.

“Eh,” Leia dismisses, “he’s alright, I guarantee it. Anyway,” she raises her voice, “many thanks to the Rising Phoenix!”

“Do you know where the other one went?” Ahsoka asks them.

“It’s in the city,” Luke says, “are you coming?”

“Well,” Leia raises her Jaeger arm, the metal lagging in function due to saltwater and frayed wires, “you’re on your own. Good luck!”

Luke asks warily, “are you hurt, Leia?”

“No,” Leia hisses.

Ezra knows a lie when he hears it.

Luke mutters a curse. “Help is coming.” He clicks on the comm. “Mon?”

“I know,” Mon says. “Keep moving.”

Luke clenches his jaw, curbing his need to help his sister. Ezra takes the first step towards Tatooine City, Luke following the motion. As if on cue, the port town catches fire as the Kaiju climbs buildings.

“Damn,” Luke mutters, “that’s my father’s hometown.”

“Move faster, then,” Ezra encourages.

Luke hums, the wavelength between them flaring up with activity. They break out into a brisk walk in the Rising Phoenix. The tides part the way with every pace, saltwater splashing about the metal legs.

They reach the shore of Tatooine City, Jaeger boots imprinting the sand. They follow the flames in the sandstone town. The reptilian Kaiju swipes houses and establishments with its tail and scaly body. It roars amongst the fire.

“Nuclear power hurts them more,” Luke deduces, “we should try the beams first.”

Ezra nods in agreement as the Kaiju notices them. Its neon blue eyes pierce right through the Jaeger helmet.

“Ugh,” Ezra shivers, “I’ll never get used to that.” His control glove dials up the nuclear power in their Jaeger fists. “Charged up.”

“Mine too,” Luke says.

The Kaiju charges forward on shockingly agile legs. Its tail swings and levels an apartment building.

Ezra and Luke mirror each other’s offensive stance, bracing their legs. Their arms go up in a boxing stance as the beam fires.

The nuclear power blasts a heat wave towards the Kaiju, causing it to stop itself in its charge. Claws scrape against sand, creating fissures as it brakes and tumbles to the right of the Jaeger.

“It’s all you!” Ezra exclaims.

Quickly, Luke retracts a blade on his side of the Jaeger arm and banks right. The knife slices through the Kaiju’s side, the reptile roaring as it crashes into a restaurant. Fluorescent blood coats the blade, and Luke uses an arm movement to flick off the venom.

When Luke stands again, his eyes grow determined. A warrior’s form.

“Our power reserves are halfway depleted,” he says, “we need to use our shots carefully.”

Ezra blinks and studies the holo screen. He hadn’t noticed they were running out of nuclear energy.

Luke maneuvers the Jaeger around. The Kaiju stumbles up and roars. Ezra fires another round at its neck, but the Kaiju simply recoils and fumes at the attack.

Luke sighs. “What did I just say?”

Ezra grins. “Did you want me to let it growl at you like that? It was rude.”

Luke scoffs, moving his Jaeger arm into a defensive position.

Ezra does the same just in time; the Kaiju catapults the Rising Phoenix backwards with the force of its blow. The cables hooking Ezra’s control suit to the interior throw him against the wall. It is a fairly cushy fall, however, due to the thick armor and padding in his suit.

He lands and immediately fixates on Luke. His golden head shakes as he regains his bearings. 

Luke returns to the holo control screen as the reptilian Kaiju approaches the crushed building. Ezra links up with Luke again.

But as the Kaiju gains on them, extra appendages unfurl. Venomous blood drips onto the sand. Thin spider web wings are splayed out on either side of the Kaiju.

“Oh,” Ezra says dumbly.

“-shit!” Luke exclaims.

The Kaiju’s claws sink under the Jaeger’s shoulders, sweeping up the Rising Phoenix as it flies up and up and up.

Ezra’s head spinning from the rush, he breathes, “what do we do?!”

Amidst his dizziness from the Jaeger punching a hole through clouds in the atmosphere, Ezra manages to look over at Luke.

And Luke’s eyes glitter beneath his yellow-tinted helmet. “We use the sword.”

Ezra beams gleefully. “Hell yeah!” He slaps the holo control screen in his excitement.

Luke uses his control glove to activate the sword. The wind whistles inside the Jaeger, creating an unstable draft and rocking the metal. The thick reinforcements save them from plunging to their death. Ezra can hardly move from the strong vibrations as the Kaiju flies them into the upper atmosphere.

A blink on the control screen informs Luke that the laser sword is ready. He wastes no time in arming his side, the laser thrumming with weed-whacking energy, and swiping in a massive uppercut.

A roar resounds inside the Jaeger, trails of venomous blood flying past the viewport like ectoplasmic goo. The Kaiju’s left wing detaches from its body, the sword slicing through its throat for good measure.

As its dead body splits and falls, the Jaeger floats in midair for a moment. The Earth is a blur swimming in the lower part of Ezra’s eyes. The stars are microscopic points in the void of space, but piercing nonetheless.

Ezra’s entire body swoops and jolts. The Rising Phoenix groans with the weight of lower gravity. Oxygen levels blare with critical mass, flashing red on every holo screen.

There is a second that stretches as long as a moment where Ezra floats weightlessly. The tubes stretch against his armored suit as he lingers in midair, a gasping breath fogging up his helmet.

When the fog clears, he checks on Luke’s steady wavelength. He is floating too, glancing around in disbelief at the temporary suspension of gravity.

They lock eyes in the confusion, Luke’s mouth parting as if he were about to say something.

But Ezra does not get to hear it. 

His heart falls to his stomach as the Jaeger tips on its back. The Rising Phoenix pitches into Earth’s gravity and sails downward.

Ezra loses his breath as they fall, the heat of reentry creating a shield of relentless heat between the air and the Jaeger’s armor. His feet plant hard on the grated floor and he coughs, raising himself up slowly. He crab-walks towards the controls as his brain is thrown in a blender.

His gloved hand splats on the controls, but the protection shields fail.

He gasps for breath. He ducks his head down, hands splayed on ground.

“EZRA!”

His name spurs him to push his elbows upwards. He rolls back so he sits on the grate. He looks over at his copilot.

“AIR DUCTS!” Luke shouts over the noise.

Genius!

Ezra pushes himself up with unstable knees, using the control panel as leverage. His palm slams the oxygen tab on the holo screen. He opens every air duct on the Rising Phoenix to slow their descent.

As a result, the heat dissipates in aerated spurts. They slow as they make a shape in the clouds dotted around the lower atmosphere.

In a prolonged reaction, the cables attached to Ezra’s control suit jolt him to his station. The motion causes the Jaeger to tip towards Savvam Lake near Coruscant City. Luke aims them towards it.

The Rising Phoenix crashes into the lake surface, the water submerging their viewport and trapping them within the metal confines.

But the fear of drowning does not reach Ezra. Instead, he is delirious as the Jaeger gracefully reaches the lake bottom.

Standing after the impact, Ezra trots over to Luke, who sits in disbelief as a school of silver fish darts past their viewport. 

Ezra plops beside Luke and touches his shoulder in concern. Luke blinks rapidly and glances warily towards Ezra.

Then, Luke smiles. His eyes fixate on Ezra through the helmet.

And he laughs.

Ezra smiles as the stress bleeds into relief that they were alive expels from Luke’s voice. Ezra succumbs to laughter as well, his nervous energy leaving him as they await rescue together.

He didn’t mind the wait.


	7. CHANCE IS THE ONLY GAME I PLAY WITH, BABY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mon clasps her hands behind her back. She garners the complete attention of every pilot.
> 
> “Our forces have been cut in half,” Mon informs, “but there is still much to be done. Doctor Aphra has predicted that three Kaiju will emerge tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alas, the time has come.

[YAVIN - KAIJU YEAR 15]

A flashlight is drawn across Ezra’s eyes, half of Aphra’s face visible through the flare. He stares at a fixed spot where her pilot’s hat presses against her hair.

The light is brought to the middle of his pupils, clicking off and on again. “Follow it,” she orders.

Ezra’s gaze flickers to the left, then right, with the flashlight. She shuts it off and stands, glancing over her shoulder.

“Some minor scrapes, Mon,” Aphra reports, “just like our golden boy.”

“Uh,” Ezra parses, “golden boy?”

“Luke,” Aphra revises, turning on her heels. “I’ll get you water.”

As she leaves momentarily, Mon steps through the doorway. Her arms fold as Ezra’s legs dangle off the examination table. “Are you ready to see the queue waiting outside?”

Ezra frowns. While he didn’t expect the entire base to applaud when they returned victorious, he expected people to fret over him even less.

Mon does not await his answer, disappearing into the hallway. 

A dewy-eyed Hera takes her place, exhaling in relief as she approaches. “Oh, honey,” she sighs in relief, sitting beside Ezra on the exam table and holding his hands, “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

Here’s caring nature radiates onto Ezra; he is at a loss for how to respond to the sentiment. He’s been by himself for years. He’s not used to people worrying about him.

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” Ezra says quietly. “I saw your rescue helicopter and wasn’t sure…”

He does not know how to finish his statement, so he ducks his head. He looks at Hera’s hands holding his lightly.

“Zeb is a little banged up,” Hera reports, “but Sabine and I are fine. It wasn’t a bad fall.”

Ezra nods slowly. “Good. I wouldn’t want it to be too embarrassing to get knocked out in round one.”

Hera’s windchime laugh gets Ezra to regard her bright smile. When she catches him looking, though, her smile fades to a contemplative downturn. Her gaze warns him what her next words will be about. 

“Kanan would be proud of what you did today,” she murmurs, squeezing Ezra’s hands.

“Not true,” Ezra says with an amused smirk, “he would tell me everything I could have done better.”

“But he would be,” Hera emphasizes, “inside, he would be proud.”

Ezra clears his throat so he doesn’t get choked up, managing a quick nod in understanding.

Aphra breaks the moment by setting a glass of water on Ezra’s unoccupied side. She does not make a quip at their serious expressions as she departs.

Hera slips her hands away from Ezra’s, hopping off the examination table. As she faces him, she teases, “your crush is doing fine, by the way.”

Ezra squeaks.

And Hera boops his wide nose with her finger. “Don’t think I wouldn’t notice, mister.”

“What?” A pink-haired Sabine enters with gauze around her arm. “Ezra’s very obvious attraction to one Luke Skywalker?”

“Ohhh,” Ezra hangs his head so his hair covers a blush, “shit.”

Sabine cackles, smacking his arm with a grin on her face. “You’re done for, man. He’s a literal battle angel.”

“I know,” Ezra grumbles.

“Look at it this way, kid,” Zeb’s gruff voice lingers behind Sabine, “at least you’re Force compatible with him.”

“Yeah,” Sabine holds onto Ezra’s shoulder, forcing him to reveal his flustered expression, “you have a chance, however slim.”

“That’s enough,” Hera scoffs, “Ezra is a compassionate young man who-”

“Blah blah blah,” Sabine iterates.

“I get it,” Ezra sighs, curling a chunk of thick hair behind his ear. “Thanks, I guess.”

Without warning, Hera ushers him into a hug. He sighs against her shoulder as she rubs his back once and murmurs, “stay safe next time.”

“Okay,” Ezra mumbles to make her feel better.

Hera releases him from the hug and leads Sabine and Zeb out of the medbay.

After drinking the offered water, Ezra exits the examination room and searches the area. He enters a side corridor in sweatpants and a white undershirt. He passes door after door.

When he reaches the corner room, Ezra registers voices. He peers into the rectangular window on the door.

Luke sits on an exam table in a sleeveless blue shirt and navy pants. Two dark-haired men with their backs to Ezra are speaking to him. Luke must not like what he hears, because he furrows his brows at them.

“Hey.”

Ezra recoils and crashes against the wall. “Huh?!”

He scrambles with wide eyes. Aphra stands with an amused expression. 

“Stalking your boyfriend?” Aphra prompts, lifting up a carrier.

Ezra gasps; Katja’s face pushes through the bars in acknowledgement.

“Baby!” Ezra exclaims, his shame at being caught fading. He arches down concernedly at his Loth-cat. “I’m so sorry for leaving you, dear.”

“Take her,” Aphra shoves the carrier against Ezra’s chest for him to carry, “I was gonna give her to you but you were gone.”

“Sorry,” Ezra grasps the carrier handle and lowers the cage to knee level, “I get antsy.”

“Right,” Aphra dismisses, “I suppose you should go check on L-”

The exam door opens, Aphra bristling as Luke appears behind it.

“Luke,” Aphra sighs at him in unfiltered disappointment, “do you think you can both just up and leave whenever you want?”

“Yes,” Luke’s mouth upturns, “because I can and you adore me.”

“Psh,” Aphra folds her arms, but admits, “yeah, I do.”

Luke’s eyes flit down to the cat carrier. He gasps and kneels in the middle of the hallway. “Katja!”

Ezra flushes as Aphra arches a brow at him. She snorts and leaves.

“Hi!” Luke beams at the enthusiastic Loth-cat, who paws at his outstretched finger. He giggles and stands up after a moment. “Sorry,” a blush blooms across Luke’s cheeks as he meets Ezra’s gaze, “was Mon looking for me or something?”

“Uh,” Ezra registers the vaguely-familiar men inside the medbay watching them, “I was just coming to, uh…”

“I’m okay,” Luke placates. His head tilts towards the door, worrying his lip as he murmurs, “let’s walk.”

Ezra takes the prompt, gripping onto Katja’s carrier. They round the corner and exit the medbay, Luke notably on edge at whatever was happening; Ezra didn’t need to connect minds to know that.

Luke wordlessly ushers them to a quiet section of Yavin: the pilot rooms. Since most of the pilots are either injured or on duty, the hallway is empty.

Luke leans against his door, across from Ezra’s room, and Ezra sets down the Loth-cat carrier. Katja meows in disapproval. Ezra shakes out his cramped hand from holding the heavy cage.

“So, uh,” Ezra asks dumbly, “what’s up with, uh…”

“That was Wedge and Biggs,” Luke says, expression downturned, “they were very worried about me.”

There is something Ezra isn’t understanding as he reads Luke’s face. “And that’s,” Ezra tilts his head to the side, “bad?”

Luke’s smile is wobbly. His eyes lift upwards. He is silent for a moment; Ezra’s mind reels with the force of whatever is going on inside Luke’s head.

“Um,” Luke rifles his hand through his hair nervously, “they’re my...well…they’re my,” his lashes flutter as he mutters, “exes.”

From what Ezra remembers from his conversation with Biggs and the interaction with Wedge, they do not act like ex-boyfriends. They act like friends, which is preferable over obvious pining.

Luke clams up, gaze fixated on the dirty floor. He does not verbalize a further explanation.

“Okay,” Ezra shrugs, “and what’s the problem, Designer Boots?”

Luke huffs out a laugh. “You aren’t...weirded out?”

“Why would I be?” Ezra’s mind runs wild at the implications of what Luke telling him this means. But he keeps his tone even as he speaks honestly. “I was attracted to Sabine when I showed up here. I flirted with every person remotely in my age group, but I didn’t date any of them.” He asks airily, “who would judge somebody over something like that, anyway?”

“You,” Luke asks, set at ease, “were the Yavin player?”

“Player?” Ezra’s brows shoot up. “That word is outdated and completely untrue. I was just,” he flushes and rushes out, “super attracted to everybody and didn’t know what to do about it.”

“Right,” Luke smiles, “well, now I feel much better. You’re worse than me.” He opens his door without even looking. “Thanks for the pep talk, but I need to check on my sister after I get dressed.”

As Luke steps back in the room, Ezra says thoughtlessly, “you look perfectly fine. Why can’t you see her now?”

Luke blanches. “I’m not wearing my boots!”

Ezra does not acknowledge the dodged compliment. “Right.” He picks up the Loth-cat carrier and says, “I’ll see you later?”

“I’m sure,” Luke chimes, shutting the door in front of Ezra.

Ezra mutters a curse to himself and goes to stew in his own room with Katja.

~

Mon calls all of the Jaeger pilots into the main control room after dinner is served.

In the mess hall, Ezra glimpsed Luke slink through the room alongside Leia, who was steaming with her arm in a sling. The woman only calmed down when she received comfort from Han, who was sporting gauze around his legs. Chewbacca, his copilot, also looked worse for wear, but he was the same grump as ever. Ahsoka glided around before disappearing to Mon’s quarters for a private conversation, but she was unharmed.

Ezra tried not to burn holes into Luke as he ate with Hera, Sabine, Zeb, Ketsu, and Kallus. They could sense Ezra was preoccupied, but they conversed as if they didn’t want to bring it up to him directly. Kallus and Ketsu sending pointed looks to Zeb and Sabine was enough ribbing in Ezra’s opinion.

Ezra arrives in the main control room with the Prowling Ghost crew. Mon, Ahsoka, and Aphra await the appearance of the other pilots as they enter the semicircle.

They were going on another mission. But on the night after two Kaiju wrecked Tatooine City and half of their Jaeger pilots?

Aphra did more damage than she thought by meddling with science she doesn’t understand yet.

A moment of uneasy silence passes before Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca filter into the room. Leia’s mood has not improved, Han was disturbed by her ferocity, and Luke wore an unbecoming scowl.

They finish the semicircle. Luke sends a wary look to Ezra before standing beside him. Hera and Ahsoka prompt Luke, but he simply purses his lips.

Mon clasps her hands behind her back. She garners the complete attention of every pilot.

“Our forces have been cut in half,” Mon informs, “but there is still much to be done. Doctor Aphra has predicted that three Kaiju will emerge tonight.”

“Three?!” Leia blurts.

Han slips his arm around hers. His brows arch at Mon. “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

“Two Jaegers,” Sabine holds up her fingers, “against three Kaiju?! We couldn’t even win with the odds in our favor! What makes you think-”

Mon holds up a hand. Sabine stops her tirade.

“Three out of four crews are down, yes,” she says calmly, “but we have two Jaegers operational: the Rising Phoenix and Aggressive Negotiations.”

“You see the problem here,” Zeb motions to an injured Leia, “right?”

“I am well aware of it,” Mon says, gaze sliding to Ahsoka. There is a pointed silence.

Ahsoka is stoic as she informs them, “Mon and I will pilot the Aggressive Negotiations.”

“No,” Luke clips.

There is silence at the finality in his tone. Luke glares at Mon.

“You know exactly what’s going to happen if you get inside that Jaeger again,” Luke says hotly, “and don’t you fucking dare do it.”

Ezra is not used to such venom expelling from Luke’s mouth. It is normally his sister who rebelled, but Leia is eerily silent.

“You’ll be fine,” Mon says, “I know you will.”

Luke shakes his head, grief spilling in from their Force bond. It becomes very clear to Ezra what’s happening between the lines, so he steps closer to make his presence known. Luke registers his movement and lingers a mere inch away from Ezra. Still, Luke does not meet Ezra’s eyes as his emotions run high.

Mon continues, “the nuclear bomb that headquarters developed is outfitted to the Rising Phoenix. It will be their job to bring the bomb into the Breach and detonate it.”

“Okay,” Leia steps away from Han and fumes, “you’re putting my brother on a kamikaze run?!”

“Obviously not,” Han soothes, coming to touch her shoulder so she slackens, “I’m sure Mon triple checked the escape pods.”

“Indeed I have,” Mon replies.

“See?” Han murmurs to Leia, “they’ll be safe.”

Leia backpedals into Han’s chest to calm down, but she is not pleased at the assignment.

Ezra can relate. He’s the one that has to do it.

“You’ve forgotten about the Breach only opening for Kaiju,” Hera pipes up.

Mon prompts Aphra with a nod.

“That’s going to be the tricky part,” Aphra announces. She regards Luke and Ezra. “You boys have to kill a Kaiju and drag it to the Breach before you can detonate the bomb inside it.”

“Damn,” Ezra says thoughtlessly, “would you like us to serve up perfectly-cooked colo claw fish with a side of glazed meiloorun while we’re at it?”

Aphra doesn’t mask her bemused snort and side smirk. She coughs when Mon glares at her.

“It might seem...impossible,” Mon emphasizes, “but I have complete trust that you will both deliver.”

“And what will you be doing, if I might ask?” Hera clips.

Ezra blinks; he forgot about Hera’s protective streak. He didn’t believe he warranted such consideration, but the Prowling Ghost crew proved to be a surprising bunch over the years.

“Ahsoka and I,” Mon replies, “will distract the Kaiju.”

“Sounds like a suicide mission to me,” Zeb says.

Every head turns in his direction. Zeb shrugs.

“What?” Zeb scoffs. “Is it insensitive of me to state the obvious?”

“You will all be dividing my responsibilities in my stead,” Mon says. “Speak to Threepio to receive your assignments. You are dismissed.”

Hera punches Zeb’s arm hard as they file away. Ezra and Luke stay; the order was implied, and that was enough.

“Suit up,” Mon orders, “I have Ketsu on standby.”

Luke’s end of their bond twinges with a burst of unidentifiable emotions. Luke was moody when he entered the room, but now he is a disaster inside. Ezra recognizes the signs; he’s dealt with Luke’s struggles and wants to help, but Luke proves to be a complex study. Ezra cannot predict how Luke will react in any given situation.

Ezra shakes the thought from his mind as Luke clenches his jaw and leaves the main control room briskly.

His mind bends and snaps. It takes Ezra a moment to move. In his haze, he uses his attunement to Luke to guide him.

Ezra catches up with Luke as he enters the training room and punches a hole in a dangling sandbag. 

The leather splits at the power behind Luke’s punch. Sand flows out of the bag like a leak in a vertical pipe. Luke’s entire body contorts and sinks at a shaky exhale. 

As if he cannot stand anymore, his legs sway and he plops on the hard ground. His hands cover his face as his head bows. 

Blonde hair curtains him as Ezra approaches with slow steps. Luke does not cry, but his posture reeks of hopelessness.

Ezra curls his long hair behind one ear as he crosses his legs on the floor. He sits at a perpendicular angle to Luke.

He says softly, “you have to let her go.”

As expected, Luke’s reaction is visceral. His face blazes with defiance, but it is better than silence.

“Easy for you to say,” Luke seethes, “what would you know about losing-”

He falls silent. His eyes drop, his breath growing shallow. He stares at the floor. 

“Right,” Luke sighs.

“It’s okay,” Ezra murmurs, surprised that he’s telling the absolute truth. “I found out recently that...he knew he wasn’t going to make it out of that fight. But you know what?”

Luke inhales sharply through his nose, looking up at Ezra.

“It took courage for Hera to let him go,” Ezra says, “and even more courage to face his end.”

Luke’s lip wobbles.

“You have to let her do this for you,” Ezra says. “And besides, all we’ll be doing is killing a very dangerous Kaiju in the meantime, right?”

Luke nods once. “Right. We need to get in our control suits. Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Ezra reassures. He gets to his feet and offers a bold hand. “Come on.”

Luke warily observes the hand. Ezra believes he isn’t going to take it.

But Luke’s palm clasps Ezra’s. His fingers wrap over Ezra’s wrist as they lift upwards.

They meet in the middle. Luke’s eyes flicker an inch away from Ezra’s face. He removes his grip on Ezra’s hand and clears his throat.

“Right.” Luke turns away and opens the training room door. Ezra follows him to the Jaeger hangar bay.

~

[PACIFIC OCEAN]

The Rising Phoenix touches the bottom of the ocean. Sand and rocks fly up at the impact of the landing. Seaweed drifts and dusts the Jaeger boots, threatening to tangle in the gears.

The Breach is a flaming X surrounded by pulses of electric energy guarding the Kaiju’s interdimensional home. Aphra’s calculations indicated that three Kaiju would appear through the Breach at any moment. The Aggressive Negotiations had to hold back two while the Rising Phoenix killed one and brought it to the Breach.

The more Ezra reflects on their task, the more his mind runs wild at all the ways it can go wrong.

His heavy breaths fog up his helmet as he walks the Jaeger ever closer to the Breach alongside Luke. Lantern fish skate around their legs, scattering as they reach the electric barrier. Ezra kicks up the lights to guide their path. The bottom of the ocean is frighteningly dark.

“The Aggressive Negotiations is in position,” Mon says through the comm line.

“All systems are a go,” Luke says tightly.

The Rising Phoenix halts. A jolt of energy shoots upwards from the Breach, spearing through the water and fizzling out above the Jaeger’s helmet.

“Alright,” Ezra sighs, “here we go.”

A city-sized rhinoceros Kaiju floats through the Breach. Phosphorescent swirl patterns decorate its head and horns, bulbous eyes searching amongst the darkness.

“Turning lights down,” Luke clips, using his control glove to shade the Jaeger’s presence. The neon blue swirls provide enough light to study the beast.

The Breach flickers with energy, a second Kaiju emerging. Its triangular head, stick neck, and circular body is purely alien.

“There’s number two,” Ezra makes a clicking sound, “and I rate him the ugliest of the bunch.”

Ahsoka snorts in amusement, but the tension rolling off of Luke sobers Ezra.

“Lights,” Mon says, “full power.”

The Aggressive Negotiations blinds the side of the Breach. Both Kaiju roar at the light and swim towards the exposed Jaeger.

The third Kaiju, thankfully smaller, arrives through the Breach. It is thin and fast like a fish. A definite bogey.

As the Aggressive Negotiations wrestles with two Kaiju, Ezra holds out his Jaeger arm. The beam powers up in seconds as he tracks the fish Kaiju’s movements.

“I’m ready when you are,” Ezra says.

Luke holds up his own Jaeger arm. “I never am.”

Ezra smiles. “Three.”

They fire simultaneous beams towards the fish Kaiju. The nuclear power causes its scales to simmer like cigarette butts staining concrete. It shrieks and flies towards the Rising Phoenix.

“We can smoke it,” Luke says, his helmet laser-focused on the Kaiju, arm extended to blast its face.

Ezra senses the unbridled anger within Luke, the same temper as when he spars in the training room. All of that anger revolved around dissatisfaction with his surroundings on Yavin, but here, it is different. In this moment, Luke concentrated harder on the shot than he had on anything else. 

He has no idea what any of this means, but Ezra isn’t one to be trusted with decision-making.

Ezra’s Jaeger arm lingers on the approaching target. “We can,” he decides breezily.

“Three,” Luke says.

Ezra receives a shoulder kick-back as he fires an extra-crispy shot. Ezra and Luke’s dual beams pierce its eyes. The Kaiju shrieks and swirls in the water. It flops to the bottom of the ocean, kicking up sand as seaweed entangles its fins.

“One more,” Luke aims at the sloshing Kaiju, “should do it.”

Ezra catches sight of the Aggressive Negotiations; one mechanical arm had been ripped off by the alien Kaiju while the rhinoceros Kaiju tried to chomp off the Jaeger helmet head.

His audible gasp breaks Luke from his trance. He frowns at Ezra, then freezes upon viewing the Aggressive Negotiations.

Luke sinks in his silver control suit. The cables hooking him to the interior slacken as if his strings were cut.

Luke makes to flick on the communication system, but Mon’s ragged voice patches into their feed:

“We’re going to detonate our core.”

The breath is sucked out of Ezra just as well as Luke. 

Ezra stiffens; it’s happening again. He’s inside this Jaeger and he can’t do anything about what’s going to happen. He isn’t supposed to feel useless in this Jaeger, but he does.

As his mind spirals, vision blurring amongst the chaos, a clear voice nudges his senses.

“Ezra,” Luke verbalizes sharply.

He exhales through his nose and blinks once. He looks over at his copilot, who is struggling to hold it together.

Luke murmurs to Mon, “I never appreciated you like I should have. I was caught up in my own shit and you didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”

Mon replies, “I’ll be in your memories, Luke. And yours too, Leia.”

“It was an honor,” Ahsoka says.

The communication line to the Aggressive Negotiations is cut. Luke inhales to prevent a sob.

The reactor core to the Aggressive Negotiations blooms in a wave of light. It spreads as veins in a mechanical bloodstream. Fire lines every cog and gear within the Jaeger. They expand outwards and create an explosion that swallows the metal.

Flaming sand scatters in all directions, covering the viewport on the Rising Phoenix. Kaiju scream as they meet their end. Sparks manage to get inside the Jaeger, but they do not ignite.

Ezra rocks backward at the delayed reaction from the blast. Luke hugs himself and stays upright as grief overcomes his senses.

Ezra never got to know Mon or Ahsoka. He is almost glad of it; one of them has to be rational about this mission.

He jostles himself to regain his footing. He uses the controls to swipe the sand away from the Jaeger viewport. The Breach remains a jagged red scar at the bottom of the ocean, but the Kaiju float dead in the shifting sands. There are no shiny Jaeger parts to be seen amongst the dim ocean.

“Luke,” Ezra breathes through his helmet, “we have to finish this.”

Luke sniffles loudly. Tears stain his cheeks underneath the control helmet as he nods.

“Right,” he says thickly, “I see one we can take down there. Northeast.”

Ezra follows the cardinal direction, eyeing the fish Kaiju covered in sand on the ocean floor. “Alright,” he exhales, “that should do it.”

They move without a verbal prompt, the wavelength of their minds twisting in tandem. The Rising Phoenix walks in perfect synchronization, though Ezra recognizes the strength in Luke to be able to concentrate in this moment. 

Ezra’s Jaeger arm grabs the Kaiju’s fish tail and enjoys dragging it through the sand. They reach the edge of the Breach, electric energy powered down after the explosion. The red X pulses but does not spit out more Kaiju.

“Entering the Breach in three,” Ezra says shakily.

“Two,” Luke backs up.

“One,” Ezra says.

They step into the red light, the dead Kaiju opening up the fissure. The Rising Phoenix is encapsulated in light that shifts from blood red to bold blue.

And then they are falling.

The dead fish Kaiju sinks past them as useless meat. Ezra is pitched backwards, control armor banging up against the wall. The cables groan and hiss as the Jaeger free falls on its back.

Ezra grits his teeth as the air rushes at him, whistling in the chinks of his new armor. He sends a prayer that nothing snapped loose or broke upon impact to compromise him.

Luke crawls towards the lopsided holo controls. He grabs onto the holo projector with nimbleness and starts the escape pod eject sequence.

The entire Jaeger is bathed in red as a clock materializes in the viewport.

Sixty seconds. Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight.

Ezra’s heart stutters. Luke smiles crookedly at him. Dread pours down Ezra’s throat.

“Luke!” Ezra bubbles, echoing through the helmet. “NO!”

The wall plate beneath him retracts. Steam hisses from the rectangular cutout, a door the length of Ezra’s body. His heavy breaths fog up his helmet as the platform arches him towards the ceiling. The section reveals the escape pod as he is strapped to the interior.

He wants to call Luke’s name again as the escape pod detonates from the Rising Phoenix, but the last words he hears are:

“Nuclear core meltdown in thirty seconds.”


	8. VICTORY’S CONTAGIOUS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He registers warmth piercing through a shadow. An excess weight sits atop his escape pod, which balloons with raft padding so he does not sink. 
> 
> Ezra squints as his helmet retracts. The sunrise casts a bronze glow on the man. His silver-blue eyes dart about Ezra’s face with unbridled concern. His mouth parts as he gasps, blonde hair plastered in tantalizing waves. His armor is sans helmet, the suit glinting chrome as he takes a warrior’s stance.
> 
> He helps Ezra into a sitting position. Without hesitation, he crushes Ezra in a hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who tuned in to my crossover fic. Your kudos and comments were wonderful and the discourse made my days. Thank you for your constant support!
> 
> Special regards goes to Alwaysandalso for being a hilarious idea generator, admirabletragedy for providing A+ commentary, and cobaltqueen on Tumblr for sending me a lovely drawing for this fic!
> 
> My next Skybridger epic is a high school AU that will release in the coming weeks.

[PACIFIC OCEAN - KAIJU YEAR 15]

Ezra wakes up half-submerged in murky waters. He gasps and cannot feel his limbs, constricted to a coffin-sized amount of space. As he looks around, the room has no walls. It is an expanse that covers him in darkness with thin strips of light to the left and right.

He should be able to move, his mind tells him that he can, but his arms and legs do not respond. He breathes heavily. His heart races. He fixates on the black hole ceiling. He attempts to move his neck upwards, but the water tickles his jawline and coats his long hair. It is too risky. 

“Ezra,” a familiar voice causes him to freeze, “when will you learn not to run and be content?”

He glances around to figure out where the voice is coming from, but he sighs at nothing.

“Breathe,” the disembodied voice says, “you aren’t going to find the walking dead inside your head.”

“But the walking dead is echoing in my head,” Ezra exhales.

“What do you mean?” The voice is amused. “I’m just your conscience.”

“No,” Ezra huffs, “but I’m not sure why you’re here, Kanan.”

“You passed out screaming in an escape pod shooting towards the surface of the ocean,” Kanan snickers, “and I have to be honest: I never expected you to reach the level of drama known as ‘calling desperately for the man who I wish was my lover.’”

“Ugh,” Ezra pulls a face, “that sounds disgusting in your voice. ‘Lover.’” He gags. “That’s very old fashioned of you. Tell me: was Hera simply your ‘lover’?”

“So much more,” Kanan replies. “Is that what you’re admitting to yourself? That...Luke,” he tests the name, “is more to you?”

“I’m not having this conversation,” Ezra scoffs, “where the fuck even am I right now?”

“I told you,” Kanan says, refusing to elaborate.

Ezra sighs; he’s such a wimp for passing out in an escape pod. 

But the reason he’s in the escape pod floods back to him: Luke jettisoned Ezra’s escape pod with the nuclear reactor core timer still counting down.

Thirty seconds. It’s been more than thirty seconds.

Ezra’s heart rate spikes.

“You need to focus,” Kanan instructs, “if you want to live, you need to focus.”

“Live?!” The word leaps out of Ezra’s throat. “I’m dying?!”

“Everybody’s dying all the time,” Kanan snorts, “so don’t stress about it. Your vitals are just a little weak.”

Ezra guffaws. “I wouldn’t have minded this five years ago, but now? No.”

“No, you won’t die?” Kanan poses. “Or no, you would have been fine with me becoming your conscience and now you’re not?”

Ezra’s head spins for a beat. The water around his body grows warm yet cold at the same time.

“I hated myself for so long after what happened to you,” Ezra reveals to the infinite ceiling. “I felt like I could stop it, but I was a kid. I thought my overconfidence would make me good at everything, and yet, I froze up faster than anybody else.”

“Pun intended?” Kanan asks.

Ezra rolls his eyes. “I can’t even deliver a meaningful monologue without you interrupting, can I?”

“I understand,” Kanan hums. “You’ve grown from wanting to sabotage yourself. You want to live for yourself, me, and the man whose name you screamed hoarse in a confined claustrophobic space for five whole minutes.”

“Shut up,” Ezra breathes, “nothing is worse than you teasing me from beyond the grave.”

“Nothing?” Kanan chuckles. “Good. That’s the right attitude.” His voice takes on a softer cadence. “Oh, here he comes now. Close your eyes.”

With furrowed brows, Ezra does as he is told, for once. His mind is loaded into a slingshot. The leather band peels backwards before flying forwards. It splats on a wall.

Ezra’s heart restarts. He gasps, eyes opening wide. Sunlight creeps along the edge of his vision as it sharpens.

He is inside the coffin-sized escape pod, his body secured by straps and a hatch. Only his upper body is exposed to the bobbing ocean and sudden breeze. Wind chill stiffens his armored suit, though he is not submerged in water like in the dream. 

Or whatever unconscious mental state he was in a minute ago.

He registers warmth piercing through a shadow. An excess weight sits atop his escape pod, which balloons with raft padding so he does not sink. 

Ezra squints as his helmet retracts. The sunrise casts a bronze glow on the man. His silver-blue eyes dart about Ezra’s face with unbridled concern. His mouth parts as he gasps, blonde hair plastered in tantalizing waves. His armor is sans helmet, the suit glinting chrome as he takes a warrior’s stance.

He helps Ezra into a sitting position. Without hesitation, he crushes Ezra in a hug.

Ezra’s cheek muffled into his shoulder, he mumbles, “Luke? You’re squeezing me too tight.”

Luke’s chest rumbles with laughter. His voice is harmonious. “I’m glad you’re okay, Ezra.”

They pull back, Luke’s eyes lingering on Ezra’s face before being cast downwards. His hand comes up to remove an earpiece, which vibrates with loud applause from Yavin. He sets the earpiece on the bobbing escape pod, pushing wet hair away from his cheeks. His skin glistens; he must have had to swim over to awaken Ezra.

“Does anything hurt?” Luke asks. “Your head?”

Ezra smiles dazedly. “I’m alright, thanks.”

Luke crisscrosses on the escape pod concealing the lower half of Ezra’s body. The inappropriate fleeting ‘he’s on top of me’ causes a flash of heat followed by a shiver beneath Ezra’s control suit.

“The helicopter will get us soon,” Luke reports airily, his grin bright and giddy. “We did it.”

“Me?” Ezra pushes himself up and frowns. “What did I do, exactly?” He is wary as his mind blurs with the memory. “H-how did we even get here after you-”

“I took care of it,” Luke chimes. “The Breach is gone. You missed all the fun!”

Ezra makes a ‘psh’ sound. “I’m the source of fun, I’ll have you know, Luke Skywalker.”

“If you say so,” Luke teases.

“Besides,” Ezra remembers, “there was only thirty seconds left!” His eyes widen, frantic even though Luke is right there, unhurt and blissfully safe. “How did you get out in time?”

Luke sends him a cocky smirk. “It’s kind of my specialty to get out of impossible situations.”

Ezra recognizes the pain and discontent behind his mask. It is all too familiar.

“Luke,” Ezra plants a hand down, letting it slacken on the metal between them, “you don’t have to hide from me.”

Luke’s smile twitches and downturns. He looks at the hand and contemplates. He worries his lip before murmuring, “the controls switched to manual. I shouldn’t be alive right now. I wouldn’t have had a problem with it before,” he stares at the escape pod below them, “well, before you, but,” he shrugs to understate the gravity of his words, “at ten seconds, I ran to my escape pod and took my chances that the detonation would work.” Luke sighs in exhaustion. “It did, so that’s what matters. The explosion rocketed me past you, and when I saw you weren’t conscious yet, I came here to open your pod. And that’s, uh, that’s it.”

Ezra notes Luke’s understated blush and asks, “you didn’t have to resuscitate me or anything?”

Luke squints at him. His expression grows sour. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing,” Ezra blurts in embarrassment.

Luke tilts his head to the side. His mouth quirks as he is about to say something.

A helicopter roaring above them has Ezra’s head whipping upwards. His wet hair plasters to his face at the winds as a ladder drops.

Luke shifts to a crouch and grasps the ladder rung. He exclaims behind his shoulder, “come on!”

Ezra climbs out of the restrictive escape pod and grips the ladder.

~

[YAVIN - FINAL YEAR OF THE KAIJU]

Ezra spends an entire day in a revitalizing comatose state. He wakes up loopy and giggly as Katja lies on his stomach. 

His happiness doubles when he looks to his right and Luke is in the medbay bed next to him. Luke’s blonde head is smashed into the pillow as he lays on his side, asleep and facing Ezra.

If Ezra’s heartbeat skips on his monitor, he would never tell.

Katja bats Ezra’s long hair to garner his attention again. Her eyes pierce into him.

Ezra sighs as he runs a hand over her fur. “I know, Katja. I’m a fool.”

Her tail swishes in a sideways motion. 

“Are you,” his brows pinch together for emphasis, “disagreeing with me?”

She emits an affirmative “mrow.”

Ezra props up on his pillows. She does not move off his stomach, curling on the rippling sheets.

Ezra snorts out a nervous laugh. “Alright, Katja. Sure.” He scrambles to the nightstand and holds up her pendulum toy. He swings the string using his finger, and Katja claws at the tennis ball. Ezra chuckles. “Good job.”

“Mmm.”

Startled, Ezra glances to his side. Luke had rolled over on his back, forcing himself awake. He sighs at the ceiling as he gains his bearings.

“Hi,” Ezra murmurs.

Luke turns over on the pillow again, sending Ezra a frumpy tired expression that is extremely adorable. “Hey.”

The medbay door whooshes open. Aphra, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca file into the room.

Ezra’s brow quirks upwards as he puts away the Loth-cat toy. Katja plops on the end of the bed. She receives several strange looks, as Ezra kept his pet largely a secret.

Luke is smacked in the shoulder by Leia, and he curses her out against the pillow. He relents, though, by sitting up in his cot.

“Why are you staring at me while I sleep?” Luke grumbles at the group.

Sabine sends Ezra a pointed look. He rolls his eyes and dismisses her inquiry.

Aphra folds her arms and addresses them from the middle of the room. “We may have won, but there’s a lot to be done before we can leave this place.”

Ezra sobers immediately, as does Luke. They still lost the best Kaiju warriors in the world.

“The Jaeger program has been ordered to stay implemented for a year,” Aphra informs them. “After that, your service will be complete.” She quips, “I’m already reserving a room at every fancy hotel on this side of the equator. So, tell me your aspirations.”

Luke rolls his eyes. “You’re already too eager to get out of here, Aphra. I don’t think any of us have thought about it yet.”

“Actually,” Leia says, “I’m going to Corellia City with Han and Chewie.”

Luke bristles. “When were you going to tell me this?”

“The night before I left?” Leia mutters as an admission.

Luke narrows his eyes. “Fair enough.”

Leia smirks, then turns to the Prowling Ghost crew. “What about you? Where are you going after we’re done?”

“Nowhere,” Hera clips, “I’ve been offered Mon’s job.”

Ezra smiles genuinely while everyone else is silent. “That’s great, Hera. You deserve it.”

She winces in uncertainty.

“I’ll be with Kallus,” Zeb shrugs, “but what else is new?”

Sabine snorts and grasps Zeb’s hand. A ring glistens. The room gasps.

“Zeb,” Ezra grins, “why are you being a grump on the literal day you got engaged?”

“Took him long enough,” Zeb criticizes.

“Then why didn’t you do it?” Sabine teases.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Zeb sighs, “just forget it. Be quiet.”

“I’ll be getting out of here with Ketsu too,” Sabine says, “haven’t figured out where, but maybe home.”

Mandalore had its fair share of Kaiju scrapes. Nothing too serious, but they bled as much as Lothal.

And that gave Ezra a wonderful idea. He will not voice it, though. Not until the time comes.

“So,” Aphra asks, “since Luke isn’t sure, where are you going, hippie guy?”

Ezra feigns an “I’m not sure either. Just woke up, anyways. Give me an hour to recalibrate.”

“True!” Aphra laughs. “That’s so true. Well,” she motions everyone out of the medbay, “I look forward to drinking with you, man.”

Ezra wants to tell them he doesn’t drink, but they are gone before he can reply. Katja meows and climbs back in Ezra’s lap. He runs his hand along her fur.

“You lied,” Luke recognizes.

Ezra plays coy. “Did I?”

“To Aphra,” Luke clarifies. “You know where you want to go?”

“Let’s not think about it,” Ezra placates. “There’s a whole year, you know? I’m good with doing nothing around Yavin for a while.”

“Yeah,” Luke agrees, “so you won’t leave anyway?”

Ezra scoffs, “of course not. Do I give that impression?”

“No,” Luke smiles hopefully, “no, you don’t. And I’m glad.”

The room is charged in the silence. The fireworks spark up, but do not ignite. Not yet.

Ezra removes his hand from Katja’s fur to cover up his joyful reaction. He hadn’t misread any signals; Luke feels something for him. This year, he’s going to explore that, but they’ve both been through a lot. Ezra has to be patient and careful, two traits he certainly does not possess. But he’ll do it. Anything for Luke.

“I’m glad too,” Ezra says, the phrase coming out as weighty as intended.

“You know,” Luke ponders, “people usually get sick of me by now.”

Ezra gasps. “I have that same effect on people!”

“Does that mean we cancel each other out?” Luke wonders.

“Maybe for each other,” Ezra says breezily, “but I don’t think I’d get sick of you.”

Luke snickers. “Just wait. By the end of this year, you’ll be glad to get away from me.”

Ezra arches a brow. “I’ll take that bet.”

Luke bristles. “What?”

“I’ll take that bet,” Ezra repeats. “I won’t get sick of you in a year. Bet made.”

Luke sighs, “if you say so, Ezra. Bet made.”

“Good,” Ezra shifts under the sheets and rolls over, “I’m going to sleep, alright? Just know I’m not ignoring you. I have a headache.”

Luke chimes, “I’m already giving you headaches! See?”

“It’s from Aphra,” Ezra says as he slides down and rests his head on the pillow. Katja tumbles to the side at the movement, but she does not protest as she curls up beside Ezra with a yawn. “I swear it’s from Aphra.”

“I can believe that,” Luke says amusedly.

As Ezra tosses the blanket over his head, Luke falls silent. Strangely enough, it does not dissuade Ezra from having his best sleep in a very long time.

~

[NABOO CITY - YEAR 1]

A young Ezra pants as he runs through the alleyways of Lothal City. He knows the streets better than the kitchen staff he stole rations from, so they’ll lose him as the neighborhoods curve and twist at the central junction. 

Bread bounces like house keys in his jacket pockets. Despite his bright clothing, he blends in the cover of night.

He banks left; where most saw a dead end, Ezra sees his opportunity to scale the wall and hop out of the other side victorious. He does this now, the shouts of the chef not appearing until his boots hit the ground on the opposite side of the wall. He exhales in relief and shakes out his dirty hair. 

As he enters the main street, his mind folds in on it itself like origami. Ezra is somewhere else, and older. A teenager. Sixteen.

Sixteen and in a Jaeger. With Kanan.

Kanan speaks into the communication system as they walk around Hoth Island. Snow and sparks curl in a dangerous concoction around them. Ezra’s shaky exhale fogs up his white helmet and causes him to pause.

Kanan notices him stop. He furrows his brows through the helmet plate. “Ezra?”

A Kaiju arm tears through the ceiling and grabs Kanan. It squeezes and tears Kanan out of the Jaeger in the span of a single second.

When the gaping hole bleeds snow, Ezra’s heart stutters. His chest aches with pain. He cannot breathe. He doesn’t remember how to- 

“Hey,” a delicate voice soothes, “hey, you’re alright. You’re alright.”

The holo control board disappears entirely. His helmet plate retracts. A body takes its place, a shadow preceding warmth beneath Ezra’s hooded lashes.

Breathing heavily, Ezra looks up. A hesitant smile and careful eyes fills his vision.

Dimples hit Ezra with familiarity as Luke cups a cheek. Ezra refrains from whimpering.

“You can wake up,” Luke murmurs, “I know you can.”

Ezra closes his eyes and exhales through his nose. His mind folds once more, this time into consciousness, and his eyes quirk in recognition.

He will never get used to how vibrant Naboo City is as a vacation spot. The room’s archaic architecture is open and inviting. Outside the panoramic window is a mile of lush fields and a lake that came right out of a holo commercial. If he hadn’t just recovered from a nightmare, he would believe this room is the dream.

And all of that isn’t even accounting for the man curled up on his side, who pokes Ezra’s bare chest to get his attention. 

Ezra flickers his gaze downwards, and his eyes widen. Luke flattens his palm against Ezra’s heartbeat, which now raced for a different reason.

His innocent blue eyes studying Ezra’s jaw, Luke murmurs, “breathe through it. Come on. In, out.”

Ezra’s gaze wanders down the golden silk robe that barely covers Luke and finds the task more difficult than originally planned.

Luke removes his hand from Ezra’s chest to compensate for the weight of it. His frown and furrowed brows beneath blonde bangs highlights his concern. That action is what spurs Ezra to exhale deeply.

“Good,” Luke sighs in relief, “in and out.”

Ezra inhales through his nose and exhales, repeating the cycle several times. He directs his attention to the ceiling, Luke nudging away from his side to give him space. Ezra silently pouts at the loss of close contact, but his skin warms at the sentiment behind it.

He takes a final breath. He closes and opens his eyes again.

Luke shifts beside Ezra, resting a tentative hand on Ezra’s heart. It slows, but still pumps faster than it should.

“That one got you, huh?” Luke murmurs, his thumb skating across Ezra’s bare chest and the scars littered around his torso. “It’s okay.”

Ezra examines Luke: the earnest blue-eyed support, the hopeful upturn of his lips, the freckles enhanced by a stream of sunlight, his cheek pressed against Ezra’s skin, the golden robe sliding off Luke’s exposed shoulder, the dual scars on his collarbone harsh but attractive. Ezra opens his mouth and closes it again.

Luke’s eyes dance with knowledge. “Oh!” His smirk substitutes laughter. “I see.”

He leans up and kisses Ezra’s jaw. Somehow, it’s more intimate than what happened last night.

“That’s very sweet,” Luke breathes, nose tickling Ezra’s hair. 

A stab of embarrassment reaches Ezra. His cheeks heat up. “Did I ruin it with my...?”

“No,” Luke kisses Ezra’s scarred cheekbone, “you’ve done the same for me. And even then, you or I would have already ruined it at Lothal City.”

Once their year at Yavin was up, Ezra confessed to the group of Jaeger pilots that became his family that he wanted to be a part of the reconstruction efforts at Lothal City. The news brought joy to some of them at his charitable nature, but Luke was shockingly quiet in the week leading up to his departure.

They hadn’t even said goodbye on the morning the helicopter was ready to take Ezra to Lothal City. Luke calling his name is what got Ezra to set down Katja’s carrier and his duffel bag on the tarmac. He turned.

Luke leapt into his arms. Ezra caught him reflexively as Luke coaxed their lips together. Ezra spun them around as his mind burst with fireworks. He kissed back just as desperately as Luke wrapped himself around Ezra.

Luke panted above him as he pulled away. They locked eyes and laughed dazedly with the sunrise peeking behind the helicopter.

Luke hadn’t left his side since. They spent time at Lothal City and rebuilt Ezra’s old neighborhood. Luke’s engineering skills were invaluable in the creation of long-lasting structures. Luke was patient when conflicting memories cropped up on their walks together, and Ezra had never, ever, been happier.

Ezra wanted to give the love back that he received so readily and in abundance from Luke. Helping with Luke’s nightmares was one thing, but Luke deserves grand gestures. Ezra remembered Naboo City, and that was why they were spending their respective construction and engineering salaries on a weekend getaway. Luke’s heightened positivity made the expense worth it.

And that golden robe...and last night...Ezra is the luckiest guy on Earth.

Luke cuddles into Ezra’s side, his finger drawing swirls on Ezra’s chest. He murmurs, “you can join me in the shower if you want.”

Ezra’s brain short circuits. He blinks.

And Luke chuckles. “Come on. I want to visit the waterfalls this morning.”

Ezra grumbles as Luke leaves the bed. His gaze catches on the gold silk blazing like a statue around Luke’s form. He is about to embarrass himself with complimenting his fashionable boyfriend and copilot. 

To deter him, Luke smiles and holds out his hand in amusement. “I know. I feel it. Now come on.”

Ezra flushes and takes the hand, eyeing Luke as he forces himself to his feet. Luke’s golden robe sashays as he guides Ezra to the bathroom. They pass by a sleeping Katja in her cushy bed.

He halts as they reach the doorway. Luke turns and furrows his brows.

Ezra tips his head down and kisses Luke deeply. Luke hums in contentment as Ezra delights in their Force bond, fizzling with never ending fireworks.


End file.
